VisitBritain to assess green tourism credentials scheme

Leisure Report, Sept, 2008

VisitBritain has begun evaluating its Green Start pilot scheme, aimed at helping tourism bodies become more environmentally friendly.

The tourism body set up Green Start in March and signed up 200 companies from across the UK, ranging from attractions to hotels, all of which expressed interest in getting guidance on responsible tourism.

The pilot scheme has just ended and VisitBritain has started assessing the initial results.

The findings of the assessment will be released at the end of November, giving time to implement any changes that need to be made before the programme officially begins in March of next year.

VisitBritain described Green Start as "a significant attempt to move the critical issue of sustainable tourism from being relatively niche and misunderstood into the mainstream of the tourism industry in England".

The aim of the programme is to prepare tourism businesses for a formal accreditation with validated providers, such as the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

A Green Tourism for London scheme was launched by the London Development Agency in October 2007.