Making English tourism greener

Sustainable tourism – the economically, socially and environmentally balanced holiday option – is now ready to make a move into mainstream policy following a national conference this week in the New Forest.

More than 160 tourism professionals from all over Britain got together to discuss how business, social and environmental priorities can complement each other and engage visitors to UK destinations.

Previous initiatives have been local or short-term, with sustainability issues often in conflict with quality assurance schemes, and as a result, sustainable tourism remains just a small element of the visitor economy.

The conference was chaired by Ben Tuxworth, strategy director of the sustainability charity Forum For The Future, who predicted the introduction of carbon rationing within a decade, and enforced lifestyle changes as natural resources run out will have a massive effect on holiday choices.

“The progress model based on material consumption will become highly questionable,” he told the conference. “Tourism will be at the sharp end and transition could be painful.”

Delegates, who ranged from B&B owners and attraction operators to luxury hotel managers and national and regional tourist board representatives, also took the first steps to founding a national network for sustainability in UK tourism.

Many speakers advocated the VICE approach – addressing the need to balance visitor, industry, community and environmental interests – as the basis of a common framework which would operate nationally but be flexible enough to fit local needs. Case studies were presented, describing how elements of this approach have already worked at local and regional level throughout the UK.

Anthony Climpson, New Forest District Council’s representative on the organising group, revealed a three-part model.

“It has to be consumer-driven, affordable and consistent to make an impact,” he told delegates.

 The three-part model:

• Improving the relationship between sustainability and national quality assurance schemes

• promoting a range of tools to be made available for destination managers to adapt to local needs and support businesses to take action.

• Rolling out a nationally consistent sustainability accreditation scheme based on successful regional schemes already in operation in parts of Britain.

The event in pictures: