We all now about the star rating for hotels, after all, it helps us know what level of quality and luxury to expect from a hotel. Soon we will be able to know about a hotel’s green rating too with VisitBritain’s new green marque that is being launched in the new year. The new accreditation scheme follows on from the success of the Scottish tourist board’s (now called VisitScotland) Green Business Tourism Scheme (GBTS), which has been running since 1998. The GBTS has listings for over 700 establishments in Scotland and some in England too, mainly in the South-west of the country. Scotland appears to be years ahead of us in environmental protection, with VisitScotland is aiming to be carbon neutral at all of its hotels.
The new VisitBritain scheme will have to overcome two hurdles if it is to be successful. Firstly, they will have to bring in businesses that are already accredited under existing systems, and secondly, they will need to have some sort of verification process to ensure the businesses are actually living up to their environmental claims. If they can do this, the scheme will prove to be useful and effective in promoting green businesses throughout the UK.
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes