Our Business
Sustainability & Environmental Policy
Scotland's beautiful scenery and the natural environment are our most important tourism assets. In surveys of eco-destinations, Scotland ranks 1st in Europe and 9th worldwide.
We're committed to the Scottish Government's ambition to grow tourism and the economy in a sustainable way, safeguarding our natural and built environment for future generations to enjoy.
We aim to achieve this both through our own activities and through advice to the tourism industry.
In VisitScotland:
Our focus internally has been on:
- developing an environment policy, setting measurable targets and introducing an environmental management system
- setting up our own Sustainable Tourism Unit to incorporate sustainable tourism practices into all our activities
- designing a network of 'Green Champions' across the organisation
- completing the first Strategic Environmental Assessment of our Corporate Plan [our Corporate Plan and Strategic Environment Assessment is available at www.visitscotland.org]
Across Scotland
Our focus externally has been on:
- Building links with tourism businesses interested in sustainable tourism as a member of the Scottish Government's Sustainable Tourism Partnership
- Supporting the Green Tourism Business Scheme which encourages tourism businesses to reduce their impact on the environment. VisitScotland Dumfries & Galloway was a Gold GTBS Award winner in 2006.
What is 'sustainable tourism'?
Sustainable tourism is tourism development that takes a long-term view, balancing the benefits of economic development against any environmental and social costs.
Taking a sustainable approach to tourism growth safeguards the assets on which Scottish tourism depends. It's the only way to ensure long-term tourism growth in Scotland.
Ignoring the environmental or social impacts of tourism development will ultimately undermine the success of tourism in Scotland. That's why VisitScotland is committed to helping make Scotland a sustainable destination.
Tourism belongs to the industry. It’s for the industry to lead, shape and develop it. Government’s role to provide support, remove barriers and assist progress.