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All tourism events which receive public funding will need to be signed up to and comply with a new environmental charter and accreditation scheme from 2025, as the industry seeks to paint the islands as sustainable destinations.
A new vision for tourism published by the industry-populated and arms-length Tourism Management Board said 85% of leisure visitors in 2023 said the islands’ natural beauty was the top attraction and therefore sustainability should form a key plank of the sector going forward.
The charter and accreditation scheme is planned to reduce the use of plastics, littering and energy in the visitor economy, which the TMB says will “help to encourage and educate organisers and stall holders on how to reduce their impact whilst improving the local availability and supply chain of alternatives”.
Training will be offered to “all local tourism businesses with guidance on short-, medium- and long-term changes they can make to reduce their environmental impact,” in the coming months before the requirements of the charter go live.
It also plans to work with government and business to remove any barriers to achieving these aims, in the hope to foster local businesses and reduce dependency on imported products.
“Serving local products not only gives a sense of integration into the local community but is economically and environmentally sustainable. Short- and long-term focus should be on retaining visitor spend on island via our supply chains for both economic and environmental reasons,” it said.
“Sustainable initiatives will not only encourage environmentally minded tourists but protect our natural beauty that drives visitors of all ages, going some way to mitigate this impact, albeit not remove it. Encouraging businesses to mitigate their impact with local schemes will not only invest back into our island and product but is good environmental practice.”
Pictured: Hannah Beacom is Chair of the Tourism Management Board.
Looking forward, the Board says these actions will form the first part of a wider environmental plan up to 2050 for the industry.
“Planting trees in another country to offset carbon emissions created on island, doesn’t make Guernsey’s air cleaner or support local biodiversity.
“Driving responsible impact mitigation practices locally has potential to not only maintain but result in net improvements in Guernsey’s environmental experience and quality.
“Businesses can adapt to changing environments if support is given. In collaboration with other organisations, we will bring together information and guidance for how Guernsey businesses, event organisers and stakeholders in the world of arts and sports can make small changes that will make a big difference.”
Workshops will be held to that end, including supply chain options to minimise resource intensive events or products being used.
An example used by the Board is a collaboration between a local hotel group and a seaweed manufacturing business.
The Little Big Hotel Group, which is also a member of the TMB, switched to Guernsey Seaweed cosmetic products to reduce single use plastics by using refillable bottles and locally-produced soaps and gels.
All single use plastics have been eliminated from toiletries at around 42,500 per year while also reducing emissions and “economic leakage”.
You can read the TMB’s framework HERE.
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