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Tourism businesses urged to follow green trend

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Businesses in Perthshire are being encouraged to show off their ‘green’ credentials.

Scotland’s tourism body, VisitScotland says sustainability will be the new trend for visitors over the next 12 months.

Research by the national tourism organisation reveals that 1 in 10 visitors deliberately choose Scotland because it has a good reputation in sustainable tourism.

Due to this growing demand, VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme has included sustainability requirements since 2015.

In addition, the tourism body has produced ‘Better Business’ guides, in conjunction with Resource Efficient Scotland, which offer advice on sustainable tourism practices, from energy efficiency to sustainable marketing.

Jim Clarkson, regional director at VisitScotland, said: “With its awe-inspiring landscapes, Scotland’s green credentials are already an attractive proposition for visitors, and the same can now be said for the ‘green’ credentials of our tourism industry.

“Social responsibility and sustainable living is becoming more prevalent among tourism businesses, with more than 94% of quality assured industry members in Scotland implementing sustainable actions.

“With ‘Hunt for Sustainability’ identified as a trend in 2017, we would encourage Perthshire businesses to continue to embrace ‘green’ practices and showcase them to our socially and environmentally-conscious visitors.”

Jon Proctor, CEO of Green Tourism, the world’s largest sustainable accreditation programme of its kind, said: “2016 has seen an almost 25% increase in the number of Green Tourism members achieving GOLD, the top award for environmentally friendly practice, compared to 2015. We believe this has been heavily influenced by the increased awareness and interest from guests and visitors in Scotland.

“The ‘Hunt for Sustainability’ trend identified by Visit Scotland is fantastic for our sector, and we will continue our mission to inspire tourism and hospitality businesses in Scotland to make sustainable choices that, not only, reduce their impact on the planet but have huge cost savings associated with them.”

There are currently 66 Green Tourism members in Perthshire, including GOLD award member, Wester Derry Farm in Glenisla – with 783 members Scotland-wide saving on average more than 26,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

The farm offers two renewable self-catering farmhouses.

Diane Ramsey, owner of Wester Derry Farm, said: “It makes good business sense and sound common sense to build a sustainable, enduring and appealing business. We try to reduce waste, conserve energy, reuse, recycle and make optimum use of renewable energy and encourage our guests to help.

“Our running costs are reduced and bookings have increased. In addition, we, and all our guests, can share the satisfaction that we are caring for the environment.”