After the restoration, Stéphane Beguet and his wife Caroline are launching an eco-tourism venture. In a month’s time, Watt Up Drive will open its doors to vacationers and Martinique residents. Exploring Martinique in mini-mock cars, boats, or even on scooters without worrying about environmental damage will now be possible in the southern part of the island, at the Marin marina.
Space near the Marina du Marin
500,000 euros, the cost of the environmental project
“Four years ago, my family and I docked in Martinique. Our first plan was to open a restaurant, but very quickly—since we’re professional sailors—we decided to move on to something else related to boating,” says Stéphane, dressed in his work clothes.
When we meet him, he’s hard at work building his business. The employees are already hard at work because they want to meet the deadline. Operations are set to begin on January 1. “We’ve invested 500,000 euros in our new business.” That’s no small amount. It represents a major investment for Stéphane, who is confident the project will be a success.
“We’re setting up something that doesn’t exist in Martinique and is virtually unheard of anywhere else. It’s a rental service for electric recreational vehicles, both on land and at sea. Martinique has the potential and plenty of “hidden gems” well-suited to this environmentally friendly activity, since we’ll be using only eco-friendly materials.”
Since late April, he and his wife Caroline have been working on the administrative side of product selection. It has now been two months since they began tackling the more physical tasks. The foundation of the business is taking shape, as are the trails.
Boating and nature: true passions
“There’s still one month to go, and everything will be 100% ready. When customers come here, they’ll have the choice of going for a boat ride at sea in solar-electric boats or staying on land and riding electric mini-mocks. Rides on electric bikes or scooters will let them explore the seaside. Out at sea, it’s a whole different experience, like at Sainte Anne Bay or Anse Meunier.”
Everything is already in place. All that’s left is to equip the boats with GPS navigation systems and install the solar panels. Stéphane and Caroline want to share their cultural knowledge of Martinique through the local products they’ll offer and by taking visitors to hard-to-reach spots. When asked about the connection to the environment, they reply, “Our new business aligns with our beliefs. We’re very close to the sea and the environment, so we’ve become very sensitive to environmental issues. We immediately realized that there’s a serious lack of civic responsibility among many people—that people often aren’t very respectful of the environment. So we thought, why not offer tourist activities that align with those beliefs? You don’t have to go jet-skiing. You don’t have to use polluting equipment. You can do something much more eco-friendly and very enjoyable.”
Stéphane and Caroline have undoubtedly found a wonderful way to raise public awareness through fun activities. That would be a major victory for those who see themselves as “drivers” of renewable energy.
Bianca
Their Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/Wattupmobility/
