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THE CONCEPT OF THE CLUB

At the dawn of the third millennium, it seems of evident importance to group together under a single identity the most beautiful stretches of coastline of the planet, and in particular the bays which are a symbolic link between the ocean and the mainland.
The arc shape of bays is in itself a schematic representation of the confrontation or meeting of these two worlds.

This subtle delimitation naturally favours confrontations and exchanges more strongly than anywhere else.
In effect bays, which often have islands which are themselves loaded with mythical interst, have developed  in the course of their history particular traits of geography, physiology, hydrology and biology which are very rich particularly in flora and fauna.
In our more and more tormented societies, with an ever faster rhythm, man needs to replenish himself, in his subconscious he therefore searches for something tangible of what he considers fundamental values. What could be stronger than the spectacle of “Mother Sea,” source of life, this sea which is the “mother” of our origins, to contemplate the sea is the best way to understand the value and fragility of life. Put simply this spectacle must not be diminished and the environment must not be marked by the stigmatisms of a badly controlled or managed modern world.
From this stems the ambiguity of bays which attract humans like a magnet and which at the same time refuse a permanent invasion.
How can we reconcile the attraction and the value of these fragile sites knowing that too much passage or badly managed touristic development will ultimately lead to destruction of the site and consequently less interest from the public?

The interest of bays in terms of the environment, on psychology, on touristic activity, all in complementarity with local economic development is obvious, though it must still be underligned. It is the whole reason behind the Worlds most beautiful bays club, which has the objective to contribute through reflexion and exchanges, to ensure that these exceptional sites will remain so in years to come.
Due to this area for exchanging ideas, and concrete achievements, the members of the Worlds most beautiful bays club should or must become international references for intelligent management of coastal areas.

THE CREATION OF THE CLUB

This concept, which seems obvious, to group together the most beautiful coastal sites of the planet into a club which exchanges ideas, reflects on ideas and actions comes from a meeting with someone from Vannes.
Jean Mancat was an original character who had a habit of dressing himself up as Astérix to amuse his contempories.
However he was an enthusiast in love with the Golfe du Morbihan, who also enjoyed travelling a lot.
During his trips he never missed the opportunity to compare the sites visited to “his” Golfe du Morbihan.
Once, when looking over the bay at Rio he exclaimed “It’s beautiful, but not as good as the Golfe du Morbihan!” which attracted a lot of suspicion from the people he was with.
However a sailor came to help him out and spoke in agreement by saying there was another site in the world even more attractive, citing the bay of Ha Long.
Straight after, Mancat went to Vietnam to verify what the sailor had said and was in ecstasy when he saw how beautiful it was.
On returning to Vannes, he came to see us and suggested that we twin the bay of Ha Long and the Golfe du Morbihan which he considered to be the two most beautiful bays in the world.
But for us this didn’t include the Laguna of Venice, “daughter” of Vannes and the Venetes which is also an exceptionally beautiful site of universal dimensions. It would have been a shame not have included it.

From this came an idea, rather than creating twinning where the marriage often occurs before the engagement and where a will to be together often doesn’t stand the test of time, to create the basis of an international network.
The Tourism Office in Vannes had already been working on network actions, considering that this was the most effective means to “build” something with a number of participants, and opted for this principle.
And so a letter was sent to the people responsible for sites considered as the most beautiful on the planet.
In view of the interest generated by this project, a first meeting to establish the basis of the future association was held in London on Tuesday 12 November 1996.
Those present or excused were numerous and motivated, so it was decided to create this club and hold the Constitutional General Assembly on 10 march 1997 in Berlin.
During this meeting the statutes of a 1901 type association under French law, (non profit making organisation) were approved and a bureau was elected for three year up to end 2000.
The club was born.