Natural England

The Future Is Green For Tourism - 22 June 2000

The one day course, entitled Green Advantage, has been developed jointly by the English Tourism Council (ETC), The Countryside Agency (CA) and Milton Keynes College to help organisations identify ways of benefiting the environment whilst boosting business efficiency.

The course covers the key practical steps organisations can take to green their business by reducing and recycling waste, saving energy, setting targets and building relations with customers through the promotion of genuine green credentials. It encourages the development of action plans and the creation of new ideas to help reduce visitors' use of cars and the caring appreciation of the natural environment.

Commenting on the new course, ETC's Head of Training and Business Support, Richard Allen said: "Green Advantage is a programme that we believe will inspire people to make environmentally friendly changes that will benefit their customers, the success of their business and the quality of their neighborhood. Simple actions such as turning down thermostats by a couple of degrees and using low energy light bulbs can save people literally hundreds of pounds each year and have a real impact on the environment"

The development of Green Advantage has been closely linked to the forthcoming publication of the new Green Audit Kit aimed at tourism businesses to be published by The Countryside Agency and the English Tourism Council in September. 

"The first Green Audit Kit was launched in 1996, " said Jaki Bayly, Senior Policy Adviser at The Countryside Agency. "It made an immediate impact on thinking within the industry and the new Kit aims to build upon this momentum. Green Advantage takes many of the good ideas for cost saving and environmental improvement and presents this in an inspiring training package. As a result individuals can create their own action plans for change and improvement."

It is estimated that energy inefficient households waste over £270 a year, with average hotels wasting at least two or three times this level. Research has shown that just being conscious of the issues can save between 10-15 per cent on energy bills, and where people have put their minds to it, savings of up to 40 per cent per annum have been achieved.

Green Advantage courses will be run through a combination of providers including colleges, tourist boards and local business networks. Further details and copies of the training manual, priced at £5 (inclusive of postage and packaging) are available by contacting ETC on 020 8563 3215. Training courses to train lecturers and trainers to deliver Green Advantage are priced at £350 per person, inclusive of all training materials.

The course has been developed with funding from the EU Adapt programme, in association with Jobrotation - a scheme that has already seen many hundreds of people introduced to a career in tourism, as well as improving skills amongst existing employees within the industry.