The UK’s oldest dining spot and an idyllic Northumbrian escape are among the first businesses in the area to earn a globally recognised sustainability mark as part of a special project from Destination North East England – recognising their commitment to looking after our people, place and planet.
Through a partnership with England’s first Destination Development Partnership, Destination North East England, free memberships to Green Tourism’s online platform have been made available to the region’s tourism and hospitality sector to help them on their sustainability journey, with the first businesses to take up the offer now proudly able to display their sustainability credentials to visitors.
Popular restaurant Blackfriars in Newcastle, Northumbrian self-catering accommodation business Warksburn Old Church and glamping spot Laverock Law Cottages and Glamping have all achieved a Gold Green Tourism award after taking advantage of one of the funded memberships.
Holiday Inn Newcastle Jesmond has received a silver certification with tours and experience providers Northern Secrets and Newcastle Tour Company, as well as rural campsite Cragend Farm in Northumberland, all achieving a bronze award. They are set to be accompanied by a number of other businesses from across the region as more edge closer to completing the certification process.
Stats from Booking.com suggest 87% of travellers want to travel more sustainably with 64% of consumers willing to pay more for sustainable tourism options according to McKinsey & Company – further demonstrating the need for businesses to show their commitment to ‘going green’.
The Green Tourism certification, a globally recognised emblem of sustainability best practice, has been shining a light on the greenest places to stay, eat and experience for over 25 years.
More than half of the funded memberships have now been claimed, with tourism bosses at Destination North East England encouraging operators of attractions, venues, accommodation providers and visitor-facing businesses to claim the last remaining spots before it’s too late with the fully funded membership offer ending in March.
Helping businesses save up to £750 on the usual membership costs, the fully funded scheme allows businesses to access a simple-to-understand framework and a range of resources to help them gain an official Green Tourism or Green Meetings Certification.
Businesses can be awarded either a Bronze, Silver or Gold certification based on their responses to a bespoke questionnaire designed for their industry or business type as well as the evidence they submit, with qualified sustainability advisors providing expert help and support along the way. Once the business has been awarded their certification, they can proudly display their plaque to visitors and submit their achievement to booking platforms like Booking.com to show customers from around the world that they’re a sustainable and planet-conscious operation.
The news comes after Destination North East England launched a world-leading, first-of-its-kind Regenerative Visitor Economy Framework which aims to inform the region’s future strategies and policies, to ensure visitors and residents alike leave a positive impact on our area and its people. The aim is for North East England to become a world-class regenerative tourism destination.
Chair of Destination North East England John Marshall said:
“We have ambitions to double the value of our visitor economy over the next 10 years, but we can only do this, if we all play our part to look after our unique and precious part of the world and the people that live here or come to visit. I am delighted to see the first businesses to emerge with certifications from our partnership with Green Tourism and it’s fantastic to have them stand as beacons of sustainability to inspire our wider visitor economy to join us on the regenerative tourism journey,”
Ruth Terrington, Operations Director at Hooked-on Group said:
“Sustainability is one of the core values of Hooked On Group and achieving a Gold Green Tourism award for Blackfriars reinforces our dedication to contributing to regenerative tourism in our region. The process was straightforward, insightful, and helped us identify areas for improvement while celebrating the progress we’ve already made. We’d absolutely encourage other businesses to take advantage of this funded opportunity — not only does it strengthen your sustainability efforts, but it also reassures customers that they’re supporting a business dedicated to making a positive impact on the local environment and community,”
Scott MacLean, Managing Director of Green Tourism said:
“This innovative partnership with Destination North East England is making Green Tourism and Green Meetings Certification even more accessible to businesses in the region. Not only are the membership fees for the programme funded in year 1, but the region has complemented this with a range of additional support for businesses to guide them on their regenerative journey. The partnership has sent a clear message that sustainability and regenerative practices are key considerations for visitor economy businesses.”