North East England set to pioneer green tourism
9 March 2010
Natural England has teamed up with Visit County Durham and Regional Development Agency, One North East, to support a conference that hopes to inspire local tourism businesses to pioneer green holidays and short breaks.
North East England is already a world leader in the manufacturing of electrical cars and the creation of renewable energy using offshore wind turbines. Tourism is the latest industry earmarked to boost the region’s reputation for green excellence.
Pure Profit 2010 is being delivered by tourism agency Visit County Durham on behalf of One North East and is sponsored by Natural England. The conference is designed to inspire tourism businesses to embed environmentally friendly practices and build stronger, more sustainable and profitable businesses.
The conference takes place on March 18 at the Rivergreen Centre, Aykley Heads in Durham, a multi award winning green business centre, and features speakers from the worlds of tourism, environmental research and sustainable business practices.
Janet Cummings, business performance coordinator at One North East, said: “More and more consumers are now environmentally aware and looking to reduce their carbon footprint whenever possible, even on holiday, leading many to choose domestic short breaks instead of overseas trips. As this tourism trend grows it’s vital for North East England to be known nationally as a place that offers a high quality, ethical and green experience for visitors.”
Businesses will hear how adopting green practices has led to increased profits, greater occupancy levels and raised marketing profile for many companies and public sector organisations.
Rob Aubrook, Natural England’s North East Regional Director will chair the conference. He said: “Natural England is delighted to be sponsoring the ‘Pure Profit 2010’ conference. The North East has a unique natural environment that offers huge potential for the growth of the regional tourism industry.
“We hope that the conference will help the tourism industry in the North East to build on the region’s natural assets and give businesses new inspiration to develop a thriving, sustainable tourism sector that is competitive and prosperous.”
Tourism is the UK’s fifth biggest industry, worth £4bn to the region’s economy per year and sustains over 60,000 jobs. Several North East tourism businesses are already benefiting from being green. In 2009, North East accommodation businesses who were members of the Green Tourism Business Scheme recorded occupancy rates 19 per cent higher than non accredited businesses.
A recent pan European survey by electrical goods manufacturer Samsung found that a third of consumers would opt for an ‘eco-friendly’ hotel, demonstrating that green credentials have a major impact in influencing the decisions of holidaymakers.
To book a place at the PureProfit 2010 conference you can call the booking office on 0191 383 7422 or visit the website at www.pureprofit2010.com
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