Archived Sustainable Tourism NewslettersPOSITIVE IMPACT – ISSUE 8 (Autumn 2001)
Green, eco, wildlife – just as long as it’s sustainable How has this year been for your business? As in any year it would appear that some have done well and some have struggled. It is clear though that tourism is changing and it makes sense to review the National Tourism Strategy so it reflects these changes. The Tourism and Environment Forum (TEF) response takes sustainability - economic, social and environmental - as its key theme. The aim of the Forum itself is to promote sustainability in all aspects of Scottish tourism, bringing together a wide range of partners from landowners to economic development to environmental agencies. Two new members add to the breadth of Forum membership, the Centre for Scottish Archaeology and the Scottish Tourism Forum are important additions and we welcome them warmly. ‘Greening’ your business by making it more environmentally friendly has always been a good way of reducing costs but a number of new initiatives are focussing on attracting new visitors through their environmental awareness. Even within Scotland’s special landscape, Shetland’s environment is exceptional. The Green Shetland marketing brochure and award lead the way in terms of making the most of this special environment. Melrose businesses have always known that their customers love the beautiful and unspoilt town environment, now they are using this selling point to grow their businesses in a sustainable way. By making the office more environmentally friendly VisitScotland’s London office is also joining in. The changes they are making show their interest in environment issues. Given how important our visitors say environmental issues are to them it makes sense to let them know that we care too. Wildlife has always been part of Scotland’s attraction, but we have not always been good at understanding the market for this experience. This is changing. The success of the RSPB Capercaillie Watch and, at the other end of the scale, of the Seabird Centre at North Berwick not only demonstrate the level of demand there is for wildlife tourism in Scotland but also some interesting ways of presenting our rich natural heritage. TEF plans to look into how the opportunities that wildlife offers for tourism in Scotland can be maximised in ways that benefits not just local tourism businesses but also the wildlife and the habitats in which it lives. Best wishes, Roger Wheater OBE, TEF Chairman
Sustainability in A Difficult Climate Sandy Dear of the Tourism and Environment Forum will speak on sustainable tourism at this year’s ASVA conference to be held in Crieff on 7-8th November. The event will focus on the environmental friendliness of Scotland’s tourism industry as well as other key issues facing Scotland’s visitor attractions. The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) is the trade association for visitor attractions, large and small, in Scotland; from Gairloch Museum in Wester Ross to large organisations such as Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. Established in 1988, ASVA works to improve the quality and viability of visitor attractions in Scotland, co-ordinates a training programme with the LECs and negotiates special deals from suppliers for its members. ASVA is very much aware of the importance which the natural and built environment play in attracting visitors to Scotland. They have recently worked with Tourism and Environment Forum on a special ASVA newsletter in July, not only outlining the importance of sustainable tourism, but also presenting case histories from some of their members who have won awards, such as Cruachan Visitor Centre, Thirlestane Castle and Vikingar! Positive Action: For more information on ASVA or on the conference telephone (01786) 475152, email: info@asva.co.uk or check out www.asva.co.uk
Melrose Aiming to be Scotland’s First Green Town Exciting things are happening in the Border town of Melrose. The local Traders Association, with the support of a range of agencies including the Tourism and Environment Forum, has taken up the challenge to make Melrose one of the first Green Towns in Scotland. Such an undertaking does not come lightly but if attendance at a recent meeting is anything to go by, things are looking positive. The meeting, held at Melrose Rugby Club last month, was attended by over forty businesses interested in discussing how this small town could help the environment whilst at the same time supporting local businesses and the community as a whole. GTBS businesses will provide the foundations for marketing the town as a Green Tourism Destination and it was announced that Millars Hotel and Dunfermline House B&B in Melrose, having received GTBS assessments earlier in the day, will be awarded Silver GTBS Awards. A further ten businesses signed up for the Scheme at the event Douglas Hardie of Melrose Traders Association who chaired the event said "we view this as an ideal opportunity to promote and market Melrose and help our local environment. Individual businesses may not be able to make a major impact but collectively an important precedent could be set."
The seminar generated a huge amount of interest and enthusiasm, not only for the benefits to businesses of improved environmental practices, but also for the environment in general. Melrose has ambitious plans for the future. Watch this Space! The town has been assisted by STEP student placement programme and The Borders Programme, run by Business Environmental Partnership (sponsored by Scottish Enterprise Borders). Support was also received from Scottish Borders Council, SISTech, SEEO, Tourism and Environment Forum, GTBS, Scottish Borders Tourist Board, EU Objective 2, East of Scotland Water, SEPA, Shell UK, Shanks and the DTI. Positive Action: More information: Rachel Meehan Scottish Enterprise Borders 01896 758991 www.sistech.co.uk/sosbei
Shetland Takes the Initiative A new Green Tourism Initiative, launched at Scotland’s Travel Fair in April, endorses Shetland’s 100% commitment to putting responsible use and protection of the environment at the heart of business policies. The scheme, endorsed by Shetland Islands Tourism, seeks to promote sustainable projects concurrently with a marketing campaign that will appeal to the growing number of environmentally conscious people searching for that ‘get-away-from-it-all" holiday destination. To help launch the islands as a green destination a new Green Shetland information brochure has been produced and a new Green Shetland Award introduced. Nominations will be received from visitors each year for the individual, business or public organisation that shown the most imagination and effectiveness in promoting green issues in Shetland. Positive Action: For more information Shetland Islands Tourism, Market Cross, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0LU 01595 693434 www.visitshetland.com
Big Brother with an Eye for the Birds? In front of a camera 24 hours a day and no prize at the end – but there are no complaints. No, it’s not Big Brother but the feathered stars of the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick. The Centre, opened by HRH Prince Charles in May 2000, has given children and adults the opportunity to see the incredible seabird colonies which gather each year on the islands in the Firth of Forth, most notably the gannets on Bass Rock. Visitors are able to watch the seabirds on large screens at all times of the year. They can rotate and zoom cameras to get the best views of the birds without disturbing them. Since its opening, the centre has received a staggering 200,000 UK and overseas visitors and has received a number of prestigious awards. The Centre is about to add another award to its collection. Nominated by the Tourism and Environment Forum for the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2001 the Centre has just received news that it is the only Scottish finalist in the contest. It competed with over 115 entries from over 47 countries throughout the world. Tom Brock, Director of the Scottish Seabird Centre said, "The British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award is a highly prestigious award and we are delighted to be the only Scottish attraction to go forward to the final. Our aim is to become a world-class Centre of Excellence for eco-tourism and environmental education for people of all ages, abilities and levels of interest." Positive Action: More information about the Centre can be found at www.seabird.org. or by phoning 01620 890 202.
Wild Scotland The Golden Eagle symbolises all that is wild about Scotland and this magnificent bird is found on the cover of a new leaflet for visitors called ‘Wild Scotland’. The colourful leaflet, put together by the Tourism and Environment Forum, aims to raise visitors’ awareness of the diversity of both the natural and cultural heritage in Scotland whilst at the same time encouraging people to care for the places they visit.
Positive Action: ‘Wild Scotland’ is free and is available from Tourism and Environment Forum on 01463 244 322.
Wild Caithness on the web A quick update on from the Caithness Wildlife Tourism Project supported by the Tourism and Environment Forum amongst others and featured in our last issue. The website www.wildcaithness.org has been launched and is now live for all to see. The website provides all the information visitors interested in Caithness need. As well as information on where to stay, what to see and what to do, the site provides information on the wildlife of the region. Accommodation featured on the site is all Green Tourism Business Scheme affiliated. It is hoped that the site will demonstrate to visitors that Caithness is more than John O’Groats.
Positive Action: visit the site at www.wildcaithness.org
Seal of Approval Things are lurking in the waters off Scotland. Some with fins, some with scales, some have feathers and some have engines! The opportunity to see marine wildlife never fails to delight visitors to Scotland and there is an enormous range of boat trips available around the coast. The Scottish Marine Wildlife Tour Operators Association (SMWOA for short) was set up in 1998 by marine wildlife operators for marine wildlife operators. The Association has worked hard to promote the importance of introducing their customers to the marine wildlife of Scotland in an environmentally sustainable way. A key part of joining SMWOA is agreeing to adhere to their code of conduct, Navigate with Nature. This simple code provides a clear message to visitors that the operators are working to minimise their impacts on wildlife and that they encourage others to do likewise. The Association has also produced an excellent identification book called ‘Sea Watching in Scotland.’ SMWOA provides marine wildlife operators with a voice to public agencies and works with organisations such as Scottish Natural Heritage, VisitScotland and Tourism and Environment Forum. Membership costs are £20 for first year then £15 for annual subs. Positive Action: A list of current members and information about SMWOA are available at www.merger.demon.co.uk/smwoa or by contacting SMWOA’s secretary, June Gerrard (01599 522 305).
Forum goes from Strength to Strength The Tourism and Environment Forum are delighted to welcome two new organisations to the Forum: The Council for Scottish Archaeology and The Scottish Tourism Forum. The Council for Scottish Archaeology (CSA) is an independent, membership organisation which works to improve public awareness of Scotland's rich archaeological heritage and to promote the study, care and appreciation of the historic environment. The Scottish Tourism Forum (STF) is also a membership organisation, made up of trade associations, marketing groups, Area Tourist Boards, National Galleries and Museums, corporate players and other bodies involved in tourism and hospitality careers and skills. STF provides private sector operators with access to national planning and management of tourism in Scotland. Both organisations have valuable contributions to make to the work of the Forum and will help us meet our Operational Plan objectives over the next 2 years and the longer term. Positive Action– you can find out more about the CSA from www.britarch.ac.uk/csa or contact them on csa@nms.ac.uk or 0131-247-4119 and more about the Scottish Tourism Forum from mail@tourismtoday.co.uk or 0131-220-6321.
London Calling! Douglas Allan from VisitScotland’s London office reports……. The VisitScotland office in London is situated in the heart of the city close to Trafalgar Square. We’re the public face of Scotland in London and provide a one-stop shop for prospective visitors to Scotland. Over the past few months a number of initiatives have been put in place to make the office "greener". Why? VisitScotland has repeatedly outlined how important the natural and built environment is to tourism in Scotland and as such, we felt it important that the only public office of VisitScotland should reflect and advertise this. A green tourism audit was undertaken, based on the Green Tourism Business Scheme. From this we identified our strengths and weaknesses and created a plan to make the office "greener". It was amazing the difference a little effort made. Amongst other projects we now:
All staff are involved in these initiatives and have shown a great deal of support and enthusiasm for them. This, we felt, was key to the changes being a success. We might be in the centre of London, but we are determined to demonstrate how much we care about the natural environment.
Green Tourism Means Business This was the message from the recent Green Tourism Conference in Perth hosted by the Tourism and Environment Forum, Perth and Kinross Council and SEPA. The event attracted over 60 tourism businesses and tourism advisors from all over Scotland and was chaired by former VisitScotland Chief Executive Professor Derek Reid. A broad range of topics were covered during the day including the importance of sustainable tourism in Scotland, national schemes, such as GTBS and Hospitable Climates, and more local initiatives, such as the Big Tree Country and Green Tourism Initiatives in the Perthshire region. Practical advice and guidance was provided by the SEEO, HCIMA (Hospitality and Catering International Management Association) and the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS). Gold level GTBS members Liz Harrison of Pool House Hotel (Poolewe) and Rachel Whyte of Glenmachrie Guest House (Islay) gave practical advice on how they achieved their awards. "We aim to exceed expectations in everything we do", said Rachel Whyte "and because of our approach to our business we are now able to attract over 80% repeat visits from our guests." The event was heralded as a great success and there was an enormous amount of positive feedback. Professor Reid commented that the messages given throughout the day were of national interest and that other events should be arranged. Positive Action: SEEO give free advice and offer interest free loans to business for energy efficiency (Tel: 0141 242 5835 or www.actionenergy.org.uk/). HCIMA run Hospitable Climates, which offer tourism businesses on-line advice on energy efficiency (Tel: 020 8772 7400 or www.hospitableclimates.co.uk . GTBS provides a green award for tourism businesses. (Tel: 01738 632162 or www.green-business.co.uk) .
Come to the Caper ‘Ceilidh’! It’s not just the early bird that catches the worm at the Osprey Centre at Loch Garten, this Spring the early riser also caught a glimpse of an elusive bird, the Capercaillie. From early April to mid-May, the Osprey Centre opened every day from 5am to 8am for Capercaillie viewing (the Centre opens for regular osprey viewing from 10am to 6pm). A CCTV camera installed on a ‘lek’ relayed live pictures to a monitor in the Centre. More often than not the birds themselves were seen directly from the centre. In 2001, the 51 ‘Caper-Watch’ mornings attracted over 1500 watchers. Whilst this initiative no doubt tempted some people to get up early who otherwise wouldn¹t go out looking for Capercaillie, many of the birdwatchers there would usually have gone out looking for the birds. Capercaillie were seen via the live camera link-up on all but one morning and actually seen in view directly from the Centre on 47 of those 51 mornings. Visitors were often treated to good views of male Capercaillie fighting, displaying to females and mating. Capercaillie are the most rapidly declining bird in UK. The pressures on Scotland's dwindling Capercaillie population are many, such as poor weather at chick hatching time and collisions with deer fences, but also pressures of an indirect kind. This popular enigmatic bird is highly sought after by birdwatchers, particularly during lekking in Spring when they are at their most active. Minimising disturbance to Capercaillie nuptials at this time is crucial in helping change the fortunes of this bird for the better. It is hoped that Caper-Watch will provide birdwatchers with an opportunity to see Capercaillie from the Osprey Centre (or nearby) without actively looking for them out in the forest. With fewer people out looking for the birds and coming to the Centre instead, the Strathspey Capercaillies at least had some badly needed peace in the woods this Spring. This in some small way will help the fortunes of this beleaguered flagship Scottish bird. What they really need is some warm dry weather to coincide with chick hatching time but we can¹t do anything about that. Resisting the temptation to go actively looking for them and leaving them in peace will be of some help. Positive Action: The Osprey Centre is at Loch Garten, Abernethy Forest Nature Reserve, Grianan, Nethybridge, Inverness-shire PH25 3EF. For more information see
A Truly Tall Tale - Treefest 2002 We’re not joking when we say that trees are going to become celebrities in 2002. The Tourism and Environment Forum are helping to develop a nationwide festival of events throughout next year (2002) to celebrate Scotland’s trees, woods and forests which promises to boost the green tourism sector. Launched in June by Deputy Environment and Rural Development Minister Rhona Brankin, Treefest Scotland 2002 will cover events ranging from small local guided walks to major international showcases for the forest industries, including the World Logging Championships at Lockerbie in September. It aims to raise public awareness of the social, environmental and economic benefits of Scotland’s trees, woods and forests. Noting that 2002 has been nominated "International Year of Eco-Tourism" by the industry, Ms Brankin said: "What an important time it is to take advantage of our natural assets! Foot and mouth, as any tourism operator will tell you, has affected the tourism business enormously, particularly in rural areas. "I believe that the forestry sector, working together with the tourism industry under the Treefest banner, can be a major part of the recovery strategy in 2002 and lead the way in demonstrating how to combine visitor and natural resource management in a sustainable and profitable way." Positive Action. Further information is available by telephoning 0131 314 6444, or visiting the Treefest website, www.treefestscotland.org.uk. Anyone wishing to get involved in Treefest, to get events listed on the Treefest programme, or to obtain Treefest promotional materials such as logos and posters, should contact national co-ordinator James McDougall in the first instance, 01738 442830 (e-mail: james.mcdougall@forestry.gsi.gov.uk).
The Future of Tourism in Scotland – Have Your Say! Sustainability – economic, social and environmental – will form the focus of the Tourism and Environment Forum input to the new tourism strategy for Scotland. When Henry McLeish launched the Strategy for Scottish Tourism early last year, we had no idea that disaster could strike so quickly at the heart of our industry. Lessons have had to be learnt from Foot and Mouth, but the market and our competitors haven’t been standing still either. It’s an opportune time to review the National Tourism Strategy and Tourism and Environment Forum members are taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of ensuring that the new strategy takes a sustainable approach. Positive Action: Make sure you have your say by either:
Open To All - Green Tourism Business Scheme The Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) is now the largest national green accreditation scheme in Europe and it is set to get better with a series of changes aimed at widening the membership to the whole of the tourism industry. Membership, which is currently dependent on businesses being part of VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance (QA) scheme, will now include those tourism businesses who are unable to join QA owing to there being no relevant category providing they are members of their ATB. This will enable TIC’s, shops, golf courses, restaurants, marinas, tour operators and other associated tourism organisations to join the scheme. The price structure is also changing. Instead of the current biennial fee dependent on the level of award (Bronze, Silver or Gold), an annual membership fee will be charged which will depend on the size and type of the business. New members will pay a joining fee, again based on size & type of business. This fee will cover the initial audit, report and action plan, comprehensive membership pack and the GTBS wooden plaque and certificate. Lorraine Thomson of VisitScotland commented, "The changes to the scheme should enable businesses to feel part of a supportive club of like-minded people who are striving to make operational efficiencies and marketing the fact that they are working in an environmentally friendly way to sustain Scotland's natural environmental assets. "The scheme not only gives a great deal of advice and feedback on improving business efficiency but motivates individuals to achieve even more. If cost-cutting, reducing wasteful use of resources, doing your bit to maintain the local environment or marketing yourself as a green-accredited operation is your aim, joining the GTBS scheme is the direction to go." Positive Action: More information: telephone 01738 632162 or visit www.green-business.co.uk.
Forthcoming Events
‘Sustainability in a Difficult Climate’ – 7-9th November, 2001, Crieff Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) Autumn Conference will examine sustainability drawing from their expertise in their own areas – from international benchmarking to maximising the use of known brands. More information: 01786 474 288, info@asva.co.uk or www.asva.co.uk
World Travel Market – 12-15th November, 2001, London The travel trade’s biggest international travel industry business-to-business event. More information: 020 8910 7805 or www.worldtravelmart.co.uk
‘Scotland United’ – 19th November, 2001, Edinburgh The Scottish tourism, leisure and hospitality industry conference. Scotland United is the first conference to be hosted jointly by the Scottish Tourism Forum, the British Hospitality Association, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. More information: 0131 4768809 or www.scotexchange.net |
Contact Us
Sustainable Tourism Unit, VisitScotland,
Thistle House,
Beechwood Park North,
Inverness, IV2 3ED.
enquiries@greentourism.org.uk