A mere fantasy a decade ago, eco-tourism now increasingly attracts holidaymakers eager to limit their ecological impact. To support this trend, new agencies are emerging with the firm intention of reshuffling the cards of this rapidly changing market. Such is the case with DiscoveRent, a Brussels-based agency for sustainable travel founded by Marie Frère and Maxime Mertens, two enthusiasts of outdoor sports. Could mass tourism be living its final hours?
Pleasure of Travel and Preservation of Wild Spaces
Crossing the great crest of the Vosges in snowshoes, learning to navigate in the Croatian islands, climbing a 4000m peak in ski touring… DiscoveRent’s adventure catalog stands out for its originality. And for good reason. Marie and Maxime’s idea is simple: “to offer human, wild, and sustainable adventures, centered around learning a discipline.” And it works very well, even extremely well. 7 offers for the launch in 2022, 48 in 2023, 88 in 2024, a rapid start explained partly by the fact that in addition to creating the trip, DiscoveRent also takes charge of its execution by relying on a European network of more than 100 specialized guides, “an essential link to ensure immersion and safety.“
“People will always love to travel. We just need to think about doing it while limiting our impact on natural spaces.”
Sustainable Holidays Are Possible!
Forget long-haul flights, DiscoveRent imposes carpooling and train travel in 95% of its offers. A strong choice when you know that “transport represents on average half of the carbon footprint of a classic trip.” This requirement is also imposed by Marie and Maxime in the choice of accommodations with a vast majority of nights in low-carbon footprint lodgings such as eco-gites, refuges, or even bivouacs. The same goes for dining since all meals are provided by local restaurateurs or producers, which brings the dual advantage of “guaranteeing seasonal products and supporting local peasant economies.”
Travel Better and Also Closer to Home
What’s next for DiscoveRent? Expanding and promoting its portfolio of offers in Belgium because for Maxime, “adventure starts at the end of your garden.” In the sights are the Ardennes, “an exceptional playground” with its rivers and magnificent forests. And ideas are not lacking: meeting beavers on the Dyle, descending the Semois or the Lesse in a Packraft – an ultra-light inflatable expedition boat -, or learning cliff climbing in the Namur region. Here again, our two accomplices will apply the recipe that makes their success: zero intermediaries “to ensure that customers live exactly the experience we have imagined for them.“
DiscoveRent is:
- A sustainable travel agency that creates and executes its stays without intermediaries,
- A digital catalog of 88 immersive adventures across Europe,
- A network of 100 guides specialized in a region and a discipline.
