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Sustainability & Environment
Sustainability and environmental awareness are crucial to the future success of the tourism industry in Yorkshire.
YTB is committed to leading the industry towards a greener future and fully supports the national Green Start initiative.
What is the Green Start initiative?
Green Start aims to ensure that the critical issue of sustainable tourism moves away from being a niche activity and into the mainstream, underpinning the future success of England’s tourism industry.
Green Start is VisitBritain’s entry level programme which helps businesses understand how they can become more sustainable and improve their business performance.
The programme is available to all accommodation providers and tourist attractions in England.
What’s in it for me?
Businesses report a wide range of Green Start benefits including:
- Cost savings, for example, on utility bills
- Improved quality profile and market edge
- Increased business, for example, from green-conscious consumers
- Improved management efficiency and skills
- A feel-good factor for everyone involved
How can I take part?
Taking part in Green Start involves working towards relevant good practices over a period of two years before moving on to a validated scheme. During this time you will improve your performance in the following nine key areas:
- Energy management
- Water management
- Waste management
- Community support
- Sustainable purchasing
- Transport
- Customer information and satisfaction
- Education
- Wildlife and culture
Is it right for me?
You can complete a simple audit to discover the best way forward for you.
Take part in the Green Start pilot
If you want to learn more about sustainability you may be able to take part in the Green Start pilot.
You’ll get the chance to use innovative Green Start software free of charge and provide feedback on how effective and easy-to-use you think it is.