Green Futures
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Sustainability and Ethical Consumerism Kermit the frog once said "it wasn’t easy being green". As being green meant you where different, you had to make choices that required extra effort and were usually more expensive. You had to go out of your way, search out for alternatives. However being green is now cool and friendly and is helping save the planet. Today, ethical consumption is worth £2.1 bn to the Scottish economy, whether it is £15m for humane cosmetics or £61m for sustainable timber. From a tourism perspective, forecasts by the Future Foundation suggest that tourism trips to and around Scotland will rise from 17.3m in 2005 to 27.3m by 2025, with international arrivals growing at a faster pace that domestic markets. Is such a proposition sustainable? In era when commentators talk about a conflict between air transport, C02 emissions and the impact on the environment, would the tourist really give up flying to save the planet? Many destinations, including Scotland are promoting eco tourism, interest in wild life and sustainability. The world seems to be rushing to be green. VisitScotland and the Tourism Innovation Group hosted a conference on Being Green on the 11th September 2007. The conference was kindly sponsored by the Apex Hotels Group. The objectives of the seminar where:
Achieving Sustainable Tourism The concept of Sustainable Tourism has been developed for 30 years. This presentation explains what the concept is, and what it is not. It outlines progress so far, and why progress has been relatively slow. Key success areas include tried and tested visitor management techniques, local innovative programmes, strategy writing and evaluation skills. It goes on to note that climate change and changes within society have now moved sustainable tourism up the political and practical agenda. Benefits from adopting the concept are explained, along with a series of challenges. The penalties from failing to rise to those challenges are noted. Click here to download A Different Perspective on Green Technologies
Let’s get Personal – it is down to you Click here to download It’s Not Easy Being Green by Kermit the Frog©: The Trends and Tensions of the Ethical Consumption and Tourism Kermit once said, it wasn’t easy being green but it seems to be getting easier as everybody wants to be green all of a sudden. Whether it is BP positioning itself as Beyond Petroleum or David Cameron, leader of the UK Conservative party changing the colour of the political party from blue to a shade of green. However, being green has many barriers and tensions as those consumers that pronounce to shop ethically whilst at the same time take several holidays in far-flung exotic destinations. Click here to download Innovation & Change in Rural Tourism in Ireland – The Green Box Traditional rural tourism in Ireland has faced a number of challenges in recent years which have resulted in a decline in tourism in rural areas while the national statistics reflect strong growth. This is in part due to the growth of Low Cost Carriers and city tourism but may also reflect longer term product issues. Ian Henderson discusses the innovative approach taken in developing the Green Box – Ireland’s first eco tourism destination - in a border region that has not traditionally been a strong tourist area is examined. The use of innovation in developing a true eco tourism product coupled with the need to ensure that there is market demand for it has provided a number of challenges that have been faced successfully. Click here to download Being Green – A Business Perspective Responsible tourism’ is high on the Agenda at The Gleneagles® Hotel. The management team at Scotland’s leading AA Five Star resort fully understand the importance of caring for the environment. Located in picturesque Perthshire in a setting that is inspired by the drama of Scotland’s natural beauty, the surroundings are some of the most attractive in Scotland. Therefore, the need to protect them is considered in all areas of the business. From the late 1990’s environmental performance has been high on the agenda at Gleneagles, culminating in the hotel winning the pan European Award for Environmental Excellence in 2001 – recognition of the good practice carried out throughout the estate. The journey has continued since then, with one of the main focus’s now being aimed at the resort being carbon neutral by 2010. Click here to download Peering into Green Futures This presentation reviews a series of future options for implementing sustainable tourism in Scotland. Seven over-arching requirements are given, including the need to seize the agenda and the use of sustainability as a marketing and political tool as well as for both business development and conservation. Seventeen tested practical steps for a green future are outlined, including market knowledge acquisition and dissemination, brand image creation using social marketing techniques, more sustainable travel, drawing in key institutions, demonstration projects and sustainable regions, product development, partnership creation, strategy making, advice and support and an Australian inspired research and innovation organization. Click here to download |
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