Archived Sustainable Tourism Newsletters

Positive Impact - Issue 4 - Autumn 1997

Are visitors getting what they want?

The tourism industry must learn from other industries which have already felt the commercial impact of greater environmental awareness among consumers. This was one of the findings of a recent survey of attitudes to tourism and the environment, which concluded that the industry should act now before it is too late.

Conducted in Spring 1997, the MORI poll found that 61% of those surveyed thought that environmental issues were very or fairly important in thinking about arranging holidays and business trips. Only 9% of the UK consumers questioned thought that these issues were not at all important. Furthermore, the number of people responding positively was up 9% on a similar survey completed in 1995.

The poll results add substance to the predictions of the World Travel and Tourism Council, which is currently forecasting a 10-15% growth per annum in ecotourism. Significantly, the same niche market was identified in a recent Henley study as offering considerable growth potential for sustainable tourism in Scotland.

And with many of Scotland's key overseas markets including the USA, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands already showing a strong consumer demand for 'green tourism', the latest MORI survey of attitudes within the UK should provide further encouragement for operators keen to respond to the needs of an ever-changing market.

Dunna Chuck Bruck - Getting the message over on Shetland

In May almost 12% of the population of the Shetland Islands came out to collect refuse and wind and sea-borne litter as part of the 10th 'Da Voar Redd Up' - a spring-clean of 30 scenic beaches and 300 miles of roadside verges.

The annual event is organised by the Shetland Amenity Trust, and this year over 2,400 local people collected up to 10,000 black refuse sacks of rubbish plus a wide variety of larger items amounting to as much as 45 tonnes in total.

The clean-up is one of a number of environmental initiatives instigated by the Trust which was formed in 1983 and now employs over 30 staff on a variety of projects ranging from woodland development to protection of the island's archaeological heritage.

Other projects aimed at improving visual amenity and environmental awareness include two 'Muck and Bruck' squads who provide a free service removing derelict cars and scrap metal, and the promotion of an anti-litter campaign under the theme 'Dunna Chuck Bruck' which appears on all the Islands' litter bins and provides a catchy conversation piece for visitors.

(For further information contact Vic Thomas at :

Shetland Amenity Trust, 22-24 North Road, Lerwick, Shetland Isles, ZE1 0NQ.

Tel : 01595 694688 Fax : 01595 693956 Email : shetamenity.trust@zetnet.co.uk)

Waste, Energy, Print & Packaging:

Some initial questions you should be asking

Tourism businesses are not in the premier league of polluters, but with 20,000 tourism-related business in Scotland they do use significant resources. Energy use, waste and printed marketing material are the three main issues that should concern most tourism operators. These issues are best tackled in a systematic way, but some of the initial questions you should be asking are summarised below.

Waste

Waste and its safe disposal is a major environmental problem. Waste production per capita is higher in Scotland, than the rest of the UK, and significantly higher in the Highlands and Islands as a direct result of the tourism industry. To reduce waste you should consider the following :

 

• Complete a waste review. Identify what waste can be avoided, what can be reused, what can be recycled and what, as a last resort, has to be disposed of safely.

   

• Separate out waste into separate streams - such as glass, plastic, paper, and metal - and dispose of through re-use or recycling.

   

• Separate out all organic waste - food and garden rubbish - and recycle through composting or dispose of through a farmer/animal feed producer if feasible.

   

• Dispose carefully of special wastes such as oils, paints and soaps. Investigate the commercial potential of group collections which are more attractive to disposal companies.

Packaging

Excess packaging is an important source of waste. When buying goods consider the following:

• Can you eliminate the amount of packaging by buying goods in bulk tins or bulk packs?

• Can you, or your supplier, reuse any of the packaging such as vegetable trays and egg boxes?

• Can your pressurise any of your suppliers to avoid the use of unnecessary packaging?

• Avoid the purchase of individual portions. Use refillable containers for soap and shampoos.

Energy

Your energy bill is likely to be one of your most significant running costs. Anything you can do to reduce energy use is therefore going to help you to minimise costs. The first step is to complete an energy audit and implement the recommendations. (Businesses in the Green Tourism Business Scheme pilot were identifying savings of up to 30%.) Key questions are :

• What is the cheapest way to heat your premises and how can unnecessary losses of heat be reduced? Review the fuel you use, the heating appliances you use and existing insulation.

• How can you save on lighting costs? To start with you should review light fittings, investigate low energy bulbs and fluorescent tubes, and consider installing automatic switches.

• How can you save on the energy used by appliances? Buy energy efficient appliances, ensure fridge and freezer doors are sealed properly, review your cooking and laundry procedures.

• Could you communicate better? Use posters etc. to inform both staff and customers on the need to switch off taps and light switches, and to separate out their unused laundry such as towels.

Print

When you are commissioning printed material or ordering stationery check the following :

• Is the paper 'recycled' and if so what exactly does this mean? There are now many kinds of 'recycled' paper, ask to see a printed sample, so you can see the quality of the final print.

• Has chlorine been used to bleach the paper white? Many papers are now Total Chlorine Free (TFC), however if this is not available, enquire about Elemental Chlorine Free (EFC) paper.

• Is the paper you choose fully recyclable and biodegradable? Many 'glossy' papers may not be.

• Have the paper suppliers and/or printers taken steps to reduce emissions, waste and water use?

Business access to green advice

Any Scottish businesses seeking to improve environmental performance can take advantage of a national Environmental Helpline which is operated jointly by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment. The Helpline (call 0800 585794) offers free, up to date information on a wide range of environmental issues, legislation and technology.

Meanwhile, in the Highlands and Islands, an environmental information service for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) has been launched as part of the Highlands and Islands SME Programme.

The new service offers advice to businesses on a wide range of issues. As well as responding to individual enquiries, the service provides updates on environmental legislation as it affects SMEs. Advice not only covers issues relevant to specific sectors, such as tourism or food and drink, but also environmentally-based issues such as energy use and waste minimisation.

The service is being delivered throughout the Highlands and Islands via the network of Local Enterprise Companies (LECs). Businesses interested in taking advantage of the service should contact their LEC in the first instance.

Seaside Awards raise more questions

Could waste from your business end up on your local beach? It's a topical question as beaches are a key asset in the Scottish holiday product, yet from a coastline of 10,000km, with over 800 islands, a total of only 14 Scottish beaches have been included in the 1997 Seaside Awards - and with just one beach, St Andrews West Sands, gaining the coveted European Blue Flag.

Organised by the Tidy Britain Group, the annual awards identify beaches where you can expect excellent standards of cleanliness and safety, as well as water quality that complies with current European legislation. The awards distinguish between 'resort' and 'rural' beaches, and each of the winning beaches is entitled to fly a distinctive yellow and blue flag, representing the sand and sea. The full list of Scottish winners in the mandatory class was as follows :

Troon, South; Belhaven Bay; Gullane Bents; Aberdour, Silver Sands; Elie; Kingsbarns; St Andrews, West Sands; Balmedie; Cruden Bay; Dornoch; Fraserburgh; Inverboyndie (by Banff); Nairn, Central; Water of Pilorth (by Fraserburgh)

(Further information about the Seaside Awards is available from : Seaside Award Office, Tidy Britain Group, Lion House, Muspole Street, Norwich, NR3 1DJ. Tel : 01603 766076.)

St Andrews leads European visitor management project

Tourism managers in St Andrews recently completed their lead role in a 18-month, £170,00 project part-funded by the European Commission's Tourism Unit and designed to help small urban destinations develop their tourism industries in a sustainable way.

Using work already begun by the St Andrews Tourism Management Initiative, the Fife resort led a transnational partnership involving three other towns - Apt in the French Vaucluse region, Boiro in north west Spain and Haidari, a satellite of Athens.

Of the four partners, St Andrews was the only town already experiencing conflicts due to the volume of visitors it received, conflicts such as traffic congestion, parking problems and crowded pavements. The other three towns were beginning to attract increasing numbers of visitors, but had no strategy for future visitor management.

The project set out to test the effectiveness and transferability of a range of visitor management practices, by encouraging each partner to draw up, implement and monitor a programme of visitor information and marketing measures. These included orientation and interpretative signs, informative brochures, marketing campaigns and self-guided trails, and were designed to encourage people to stay longer, visit less busy areas and come at less busy times of the year.

(For further information see the St Andrews Web Site or contact Alison Laughlin at the St Andrews Tourism Management Plan, c/o Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board, 70 Market Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9NU.)