This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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G8 Green tourism seminar
18/04/2005
The number of Scottish tourism businesses adopting
environmentally friendly practices is rising fast, a G8
Tourism Seminar in Crieff was told today.
Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson said that if Scotland
is to become a leading green destination, then efforts must
be redoubled to encourage more tourism businesses to become
environmentally friendly.
Ms Ferguson said:
"As Scotland prepares to host the G8 summit, with
climate change at the top of the agenda, VisitScotland's
Green Tourism Business Scheme is encouraging more and more
tourism businesses in Scotland to employ environmentally
friendly practices.
"To date, nearly five hundred of our tourism businesses
have signed up to the scheme, and we aim to double that
number over the next three years as more of them recognise
its value.
"Gleneagles, which will host the G8 summit, is a
recipient of the scheme's Gold award, and more and more
businesses in Perthshire and across Scotland understand
that sustainable business is good business. It is
important to be seen by our visitors as a country which
cares about protecting and preserving our environmental
heritage for the benefit of future generations.
"Figures for 2004 show a sharp rise in the number of
international visitors to Scotland - up 20% on 2003. More
and more of them come here to enjoy our fabulous
environment, and they want the people who look after them
while they are here to be sustainable in their business
operations.
"We are already one of Europe's top wildlife
destination, and we must aspire to be one of Europe's most
sustainable tourism destinations if we want these visitors
to return to Scotland in the future."
Peter Lederer, Managing Director of Gleneagles Hotel,
said:
"Adopting the good environmental practices necessary to
obtain Gold accreditation under the Green Tourism Business
Scheme was quite simply a good business move for
Gleneagles. Our customers care about the Scottish
environment, and this is a great way to help preserve it.
It is fitting that the G8 summit will discuss climate
change in an environmentally friendly venue".
RSPB Scotland's reserve at Vane Farm, on the shores of
Loch Leven, is a Gold GTBS winner. Martha Devine, warden at
the reserve, added:
"We were delighted to enter this scheme, and support
initiatives such as this to encourage businesses to address
environmental issues - doing so can save money as well as
the planet. We also applaud the UK Government for ensuring
climate change is on the G8 agenda."
VisitScotland established the Green Tourism Business
Scheme in 1997 as an accreditation scheme for accommodation
businesses that operate in an environmentally sympathetic
way. The scheme has nearly 500 members and the aim is to
double that number over the next three years.
Green Tourism Statistics/Case Studies:
- 80 per cent of UK tourists are prepared to pay an
extra £30-£70 per fortnight to stay in an
environmentally-friendly hotel
- 90 per cent of UK tourists consider it is the
hotel's responsibility to actively protect/support the
environment (Source: Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Survey for International Hotels Environment Initiative,
2002)
The value of membership of the Green Tourism Business
Scheme is increasingly being recognised by tourism
businesses:
- The National Trust for Scotland
Visitor Centre at Glencoe was presented with the Gold
GTBS Award in February
- All of the staffed properties
belonging to Historic Scotland have signed up to the
Scheme; Urquhart Castle and Skara Brae Visitor Centres
are Gold Members
- The Edinburgh International
Conference Centre is a Gold member, especially
important given the number of conference organisers
keen on green issues
- Scottish Youth Hostels have
signed up all their hostels