The Green Tourism Business Award has been described as the World’s Most Credible Green Tourism Scheme with businesses awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold grading based on a combination of visits from the scheme and information provided by the businesses.
To celebrate Green Tourism Week (4th-10th November), Independent Hostels UK (IHUK) have teamed up with the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) to highlight businesses with the Green Tourism award on the Independent Hostel Guide website and in the 2014 guide and to encourage businesses with an Eco outlook to consider applying for GTBS grading.
The Green Tourism Business Award has been described as the World’s Most Credible Green Tourism Scheme with businesses awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold grading based on a combination of visits from the scheme and information provided by the businesses. Grading provides the customer with the assurance that the business they are using is working towards ensuring that everything they do is done sustainably and with the environment in mind.
Around 20 of the bunkhouses, hostels and camping barns in the Independent Hostel Guide already hold a Green Tourism business award with a large number of other accommodation providers striving to ensure that their businesses are as sustainable as possible. In Cumbria, New Ing Lodge (GTBS Gold) make delicious home made meals from locally sourced produce whilst Thorney How Independent Hostel has installed a woodchip boiler and is a member of the electric bike cycling network. In Scotland Comrie Croft (GTBS Gold) have plans in place to re-wild the Comrie Croft Estate as well as reuse and recycle all their waste, whilst Old School Hostel at Trefin, Pembrokeshire practice a variety of measures to reduce CO2 emissions.
When asked what motivated her to go down the eco- route Andrea Bramall from Deepdale Camping Barn and Backpackers in Norfolk (GTBS Gold) responded “Developing the business in a sustainable environmentally friendly manner wasn’t politically motivated or a marketing ploy – it was simply the most natural way to develop the business. Practices started and used at home, everyday, were adopted and now are practiced on a much larger scale. We work closely with other businesses around us to try and further this ethos to the same agenda. Keeping the area we all live in as beautiful as possible.”
IHUK is hoping to encourage more hostel owners to go green and will be hosting an eco hostel session at their first Independent Hostels conference on 12th November which will be attended by representatives from the Green Tourism Business Scheme. Alice Lockett from IHUK said “the network office has applied for the GTBS scheme and we hope that many of our members will consider doing the same in an effort to help protect the local and world wide environment”.
IHUK is the UK’s largest network of independently run Hostels, Bunkhouses and Camping Barns, who provide great value self-catering holiday accommodation across England, Wales and Scotland. The 350+ hostels in the network can be viewed in the Independent Hostel Guide (printed on recycled paper) and at independenthostels.co.uk.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
