Campsites and campsites striving for excellence
What is the Destination of Excellence Label?
The Destination of Excellence label (formerly Atout France ) recognizes tourist establishments that demonstrate superior service quality , sustainable management , and a memorable customer experience .
It is not simply a guarantee of aesthetics or comfort, but a comprehensive approach to excellence aligned with the values of outdoor hospitality: respect for nature, warm hospitality, and local roots.
This label is primarily aimed at:
- Whether independent or part of a network of campsites,
- At holiday villages ,
- To natural areas and classified lands committed to a responsible transition.
- If you own a hotel or restaurant, check out our dedicated article to help you succeed in your Destination of Excellence quality audit.
The benefits of the label for campsites
| Objective | Concrete advantage |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Improved local and national search engine ranking thanks to the label’s reputation |
| Credibility | Strengthening trust with clients and institutional partners |
| Sustainability | Long-term cost reduction through improved energy and logistics management |
| Reputation | Improved review management and enhanced image on booking platforms |
| Performance | Higher customer satisfaction and loyalty rates |
How to obtain the Destination of Excellence Label?
1 – Self-diagnosis
The establishment begins with a self-assessment using an official framework provided by the accrediting body.
This audit measures:
- The strengths (quality, reception, management),
- Areas for improvement in the short and medium term.
2 – External Audit
An accredited auditor will visit the site to conduct an on-site assessment:
- The campsite’s compliance with the specifications,
- Documented evidence (procedures, CSR policies, training, etc.),
- The actual customer experience on site.
3 – Allocation Committee
The application is submitted to an independent certification committee .
The criteria observed are weighted according to the type of establishment and the seasonality.
4 – Allocation and monitoring
If approved:
- The label is awarded for 3 years , with annual follow-up audits.
- The establishment is part of the Destination of Excellence network , benefiting from collective promotional campaigns.
- In case of non-compliance, an action plan is defined before reassessment.
Ethical SEO strategy around the label
To maximize the visibility of your excellence initiative, it is essential to integrate the label into your SEO strategy in a natural way and in accordance with Google guidelines :
Optimize your key pages
- Create a dedicated page “Our approach to excellence” detailing your commitments.
- Use semantic keywords around:
eco-friendly camping , tourism quality label , sustainable destination , excellent accommodation . - Add authentic and compressed visuals for performance (Core Web Vitals).
Work on your internal linking
- Link your “Destination of Excellence Label” page to your accommodation, activities and values pages.
- Strengthen your site’s thematic authority with a coherent semantic cluster .
Create trustworthy content
- Publish articles or customer testimonials about your journey towards the label.
- Avoid all automatically generated content — write by hand , with expertise and sincerity.
Best practices for ensuring the sustainability of the label
- Regularly measure customer satisfaction (NPS, Google reviews, surveys) .
- Communicate transparently about your environmental progress.
- Continuously train your teams to meet the label’s standards.
- Collaborating with tourist offices and local stakeholders to enrich the customer experience.
- Update your web content with every change in your approach — Google values up-to-date and useful pages.
Key points to remember
- Obtaining the Destination of Excellence Label is not an end, but a lasting commitment .
- It is a demanding approach that values people, nature and quality in a rapidly changing sector.
- For a campsite, it’s a real lever for differentiation and long-term credibility.