Text-to-speech reader:
Include the steps you’re already taking to protect our environment, no matter how small.
It could be anything from going paperless, to using sustainable materials, to planting a wildflower meadow or installing a bee hotel on your land.
Help your visitors to be considerate travellers. Tell them how you’d like them to treat the people they meet and the places they go on their journey. Encourage them to:
Look at what sustainability policy your suppliers have in place.
Can they commit to ethical procurement or using sustainable materials? Ask them - you might be surprised by what they’re already doing. It could inspire you too.
See what training courses you can do or check out organisations who can help you grow more sustainable. This provides the proof that your green customers will look for. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Leave No Trace are good places to start.
Sometimes simple additions make all the difference. For example, depending on your location, could you:
So it’s worth remembering we’re all in this together.
When you’re writing your blog or updating your website, it’s all about how you make your visitors feel – relaxed, restored and revitalised. So talk about the benefits. Show how the experience will add to their wellbeing with a nod to its impact on the planet’s wellness too.
Never greenwash. Make it meaningful and honest. If in doubt, just keep it simple, brief and genuinely green.
Green tourists are here to connect with their warm, generous hosts. They want to spend time with local everyday heroes, and experience everyday life with all its quirks. So tell them all about the farm walks and festivals, local characters or local sports.
If you can help your visitors to immerse themselves in your community, you’ll give them precious memories to take home – and to keep them coming back for more.
Once you’ve firmed up your policy, this is where it belongs. Ideally, just one click from your home page.
This is information your visitors and potential business contacts need. You’re probably already doing great things. Telling people all about it is just as important if you want to succeed as a sustainable enterprise.
Remember, too, it’s not written in stone. As your sustainability practices evolve, so can your policy. That will be more good news to tell your visitors.
Include anything that can make your visitors’ time more enjoyable for them and the community around them. Add useful stuff, such as:
Green tourists are thoughtful travellers. So they are good news. Be an advocate for them within your community and an advocate for your community with them.
Share stories of how sustainable tourism is benefitting the local area. Could you include news of local events that welcome green guests? Supporting each other pays off for everyone as together we grow a greener future from the ground up.