Green (or sustainable or resposible) tourism is a growing concern for consumers and businesses alike. Sustainable management of your tourism business can make have a positive effect not just on your business, but also on customers and staff alike.
Green Tourism Business Scheme
The Green Tourism Business Scheme is the national sustainable tourism certificate for the UK, and is validated by Visit Britain.
Businesses opting to join Green Tourism are assessed by a qualified grading advisor against a rigorous set of criteria, covering a range of areas, like energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and more. Those businesses that meet the required standard, receive a Bronze, Silver, or Gold award based on their level of achievement. The current network of members is comprised of a wide range of business types, including accommodation providers, visitor attractions, corporate offices and others.
For more information and to view case studies from across the tourism sector, please see http://www.green-business.co.uk. Alternatively email gtbs@green-business.co.uk or call 01738 632162.
Consumers open to a range of sustainable behaviours - research from VisitEngland
VisitEngland have conducted online research in order to gauge consumer attitudes towards different types of sustainable holiday elements in England.
The most appealing holiday type was one in which respondents had the opportunity to learn something about the place that they were staying - three quarters were interested in this, while over 3-in-5 said that staying in accommodation which only uses locally sourced food was appealing. Only 13% claimed to have actually stayed in hotels with green awards or environmentally practice, but 58% were potentially interested in doing this, and 51% said that if two hotels were otherwise the same they would choose the one with environmentally friendly practice. Around half said they wanted to see that they were benefiting the local community in some way, while many were open to using public transport either to travel to, or get around their destination.
Further detail about this survey is available in VisitEngland's PDF summary.
Nine Reasons to be Green
VisitEngland recently launched its first sustainable tourism case studies publication. This booklet celebrates nine sustainable tourism champions, each of them a winner of a regional heat of the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, and who have gone on to the national competition.
The brochure, available online aims to showcase best practice amongst the industry and to inspire others to make changes that can positively affect their environmental, social and economic impacts, and includes case studies. To be inspired click here (PDF) or visit www.enjoyengland.com/green
Shaping Norfolk's Future - Sustainable Prosperity
The Shaping Norfolk’s Future’ website has been updated with a new Sustainable Prosperity page has been developed, which can be accessed either via the Shaping Norfolk's Future website or through a separate web address www.sustainablenorfolk.co.uk.
The new website has been designed to provide a central hub of information and an interactive platform from which the sustainable prosperity group will communicate its activities and share information on the environment, sustainability and the low carbon agenda. The page includes local and national news, events diary, useful links, funding opportunities and downloads. There are also further information pages categorised into Environmental Legislation, Energy, Water, Waste, Travel, Environmental Management Systems, Procurement and Construction. Each of these pages provides businesses with clear and concise signposting to national, regional and Norfolk based organisations that can provide businesses with information and guidance on each of the above topics.