RE-ELECTION OF A FRENCH MAN TO SUPERVISE INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN TOURISM
La Fédération Internationale de Tourisme Équestre (FITE) tenait son Assemblée générale le dimanche 1er septembre 2019 à Brachfeld (Allemagne). Rencontre avec Frédéric Bouix, 42 ans, réélu Président de la FITE pour un second mandat de 4 ans.
The International Federation of Equestrian Tourism (FITE) was founded in 1975. France, together with Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy made this collaborative effort. Its purpose is to gather national equestrian tourism organisms (NETOs) throughout the world. Its will is to represent them and supervise their actions in order to develop touristic activities envolving equids. The FITE also manages on an international scale TREC and Working Equitation competitions.
Frédéric Bouix, could you specify France's position and its commitment in relation to international equestrian tourism?
FB : Nation pionnière du tourisme équestre, la France joue un rôle de premier plan pour le développement des pratiques d’équitation d’extérieur à l’international. La France est la première à avoir structuré le tourisme équestre, dès les années 1960, en œuvrant pour le maillage des itinéraires, la formation des cadres et des pratiquants, la création et le développement de l’Equirando ou encore du TREC.
France is involved in international bodies for years, perhaps decades. Together with a few European bodies of FITE's implementation in 1975 and spearheads the FITE since 2003, after several years of Italian presidency.
I assumed a first mandate as FITE's president, from 2015 to 2019, replacing Hervé Delambre, willing to carrying out the work my predecessors had begun. However, I also was willing to offer a new dynamism that would suit what society is expecting from our activities. International relations require to establish trustful relationships with all of the actors involved which is a long-term process. It is the reason why I applied for another mandate that will have the objective to lengthen the implementation of concrete actions that have started
four years ago and also to start new projects.
What the main actions conducted during these past 4 years are?
FB : Dès ma prise de fonction, j’ai souhaité renforcer la participation de la FITE au sein des institutions équestres. La signature d’un accord avec la Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) en 2017 est la reconnaissance officielle d’une relation.
Which priorities this new mandate is focusing on ?
FB : En concertation avec le Conseil d’administration et les dix-neuf Organismes Nationaux de Tourisme Equestre (ONTE) présents lors de l’AG de ce 1er septembre, les sujets de l’itinérance à cheval et de la formation ont été identifiés comme nécessitant une action prioritaire de notre fédération. Deux groupes de travail se mettront en place dans les prochaines semaines.
Even if the framing of physical and sportives activities is sparsely settled by regulated profession within the European Union, all members expressed the need for a standardized framework for international training that would prepare professionals to work as equestrian tourism accompanists or guides.
About equestrian routes, a special workshop focusing on equestrian tourism welcoming infrastructures will be carried out, for both equestrian tourism centers and accommodations for horses and riders. Firstly, a technical specification will be suggested in order to ensure a minimum quality level for routes, accommodations, and equestrian tourism centers.
This expertise is specifically what FITE' new members are looking for. China, Madagascar, and Roumania are illustrating this statement.
Nous vous connaissons davantage en tant que Délégué général de la Fédération Française d’Équitation. Vous êtes également impliqué de longue date dans plusieurs instances du monde du cheval, nationales et internationales : pouvez-vous nous en dire plus ?
FB : Très tôt, en tant que jeune cavalier, j’ai rapidement compris l’intérêt de participer activement à la vie associative et aux instances de notre sport. Cette conviction de faire évoluer son sport et de porter un projet de développement pour le cheval et la filière ne fera que se renforcer en devenant accompagnateur puis enseignant de tourisme équestre, en 1998.
This is how, after being involved in my region of origin, I became administrator at the French Equestrian Federation (FFE) and at the National Equestrian Tourism Committee (CNTE). This first experience as part of national bodies of our federation made appreciate joint action and the equestrian issues. Thus, after being part of the FITE without being a Board member but working with its former administrators, this involvement naturally expended itself to an international scale.
The acquired experience in national bodies enabled me to grasp this international mandate, renewed for another 4 years. I will keep on working for the development of equitation - globally - and more specifically for equestrian tourism, ensuring as much as possible the international influence for French expertise.
