North Norfolk Coast Earth Day 2010

Sustainability Exhibition The Environment, Countryside and Renewable Technologies
www.deepdalefarm.co.uk/earthday

Business Breakfast 8am to 10am, Exhibition 10am to 4pm

On Earth Day 2010, Thursday 22nd April, Deepdale Backpackers & Camping and Deepdale Farm will be hosting a whole range of eco friendly organisations for an Earth Day exhibition about the environment, including environmental technology installers, advisors, pressure groups and other related organisations.

Deepdale Backpackers and Camping at Deepdale Farm on the beautiful north Norfolk coast is an eco friendly backpackers hostel and campsite.

Whether you are looking for solar panels, wood chip boiler, LED lights, ground source heat pump, wind turbine, need some advice about how to green up your home or business, want to know more about organics or just fancy a look around Deepdale's eco-friendly facilities, you are more than welcome.

It doesn't matter if you are already interested in the environment, want to become more eco friendly or you're a sceptic.

Who should visit this exhibition:

- Businesses looking to green up their organisation
- Companies wanting to save money on services
- Architects and builders wanting to learn about more eco friendly building materials and techniques
- Farmers looking to diversify and needing some inspiration
and of course
- Individuals who would like to make their homes and lives more energy efficient

Plans are still being confirmed, so check back soon for more information.

Programme for the day:

8am to 10am - Shaping Norfolk's Future Sustainability Breakfast Meeting
10am to 4pm - Exhibition and talks
9am to 4pm - Scrap heap art challenge

This programme will be added to and edited.

www.deepdalefarm.co.uk/earthday

CoaST-Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project highly commended at Responsible Tourism Awards

CoaST, a Cornish based “social enterprise” was highly commended at the Responsible Tourism Awards in the Best Personal Contribution category.

Manda Brookman, director of CoaST received the award from Justin Francis, the founder of Responsibletravel.com, for her contribution towards ‘One Planet Tourism’; tourism that “operates within the economic, environmental and social limits of the one planet we have available; and then actively, on purpose, contributes back into that planet's economic, environmental and social well-being.”

Manda said: “What an honour! But remember that personal contribution awards are often won by those who stand on the shoulders of giants…and this is definitely the case here! Congratulations and shared thanks to all those giants…businesses, partners, staff team, colleagues…the One Planet Tourism network is the award winner here!”

CoaST is an independent body based on the outskirts of Cornwall’s capital, Truro, and is run by Jemma, Manda, Marja, Jaqui and John, along with the Board of Directors. They describe themselves as “Four women and one man, who variously encourage, inform, network, research, lobby, measure, persuade, object, question, bend ears, break boundaries and never knowingly give up.”

Cornwall relies highly on tourism, attracting tourists with its picturesque coastline and diverse wildlife, ranging from seals and Basking sharks to Shags and Gannets. CoaST, monitor human impacts on the county, to ensure that Cornwall’s main asset remains untouched and its largest industry continues. The tourist industry provides one in five jobs for Cornwall’s residents and it brings in a quarter of the county’s revenue each year.

CoaST has developed projects such as the Fowey Town Project, a scheme to improve recycling within the town, as well as providing recycling bins on beaches and running workshops and events about how to live in a sustainable environment.

For more information and how to get involved visit www.cstn.org.uk

India launches ‘Safe and Honourable Tourism’ initiative.

India has launched a ‘Safe and Honourable’ initiative to make tourism in the country safer. This is also aimed at protecting women and children from negative elements of tourism such as abuse and trafficking.

The initiative will be introduced within six months, but awareness campaigns will begin immediately. The ministry said that “this is a long term sustainable and responsible tourism in India”, it is also aimed at protecting Indian culture, values and heritage. This is the first stage in developing a code of conduct for all tour operators.

The initiative will be connected to Save the Children India, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Equitable Tourism Option (EQUATIONS) and NEST India Foundation through the PATA India Chapter.

The release said, "It is important and essential to enhance the country's image and add more value to the Incredible India Campaign. Ministry of Tourism will also work with National Commission for Women in this regard.”

S. Vidya, project coordinator of EQUATIONS told AHN, "Problems like child abuse, prostitution, trafficking are all related to tourism. The abuse is not concentrated in a few places as is generally believed and also not traceable only to foreign tourists. We are emphasizing that there needs to be proper legislation and stringent mechanism to tackle the problem. Most importantly, the tourism ministry should acknowledge the problem and its relation to tourism and declare India as a zero tolerance area for child abuse."

More than 5 million annual foreign tourist travels to India every year. The domestic tourist sector sees 562 million visits a year.

Element Hotels Announces Incentives to Eco-friendly Drivers

Element Hotel’s have announced they are to make ChargePoint charging stations available at all its properties by the end of 2009. Not only this, the hotel brand is offering preferred parking for electric cars and hybrids.

Eco-friendly drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles will receive preferred parking and electric car-charging stations at every Element hotel by the end of the year. The venture will be the first worldwide for a large hospitality brand and follows a successful pilot of the program at Starwood-owned Element Lexington.

Element Hotels were launched in 2008 as the new eco-chic brand for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. They aims to be at the height of environmentally friendly living without comprising their commitment to comfort or service.

“At Element, we aim to provide greener options for our guests, and the charging stations are a perfect next step,” said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President, Specialty-Select Brands, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “Even guests who don’t yet drive electric cars tell us that the charging stations are encouraging them to think about more sustainable alternatives, and that’s very gratifying.”

The ChargePoint(R) Networked Charging Station was developed by California innovator Coulomb Technologies. The ChargePoint devices are equipped with a universal plug-in for all kinds of electric vehicles, from cars and buses to electric bikes. Plug-in hybrid cars, expected to roll out over the next few years will also be compatible. To use the stations, guests simply swipe a key fob, plug in, and charge up.

Element Hotels are also promoting sustainable travel by offering non-guests access to the charging machines. Using Google(TM) Maps, travelers will even be able locate the nearest charging station and determine whether it is in use or unoccupied.

Pedalling towards Prosperity - Haltwhistle, Northumberland

It was announced to the small town in Northumberland last week that a cycling venture will be the new boost for it's economy and tourism trade.

Under proposals drawn up by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT),
It was predicted that thousands of extra tourists would be lured to the area when it becomes the centre of a £50,000 network of cycling routes. The cash will be invested over the next 18
months to develop new routes for cyclists.

Project manager, Anna Waddilove, explained the scheme hopes to not only encourage cyclers but to focus on the wider economic benefits of responsible travel - such as the benefit to the local economy and businesses.

"The aim of the project would be to encourage cycling enthusiasts to holiday in the town. Instead of attracting the occasional visitor, the transformation of the town into a cycling hub would ensure that tourists stayed in the area for several days at least."

She emphasised, “We could just focus on finding fantastic routes but that is missing the point.
“The routes would be designed to benefit local businesses, with each one passing a pub and hotel in the town, to promote and benefit local businesses."

Steven Ford, of Haydon Bridge, who is standing as a independent candidate for the Hexham constituency at the General Election, welcomed the proposals. He suggested expanding the plans to take in a route linking Haltwhistle with Haydon Bridge, and perhaps further east towards Hexham and commented that the increase of tourism into the area was a good thing.

ICRT has a 18-month contract to carry out the scheme and hopes it will be up and running by spring 2011.

Responsible Tourism in Sri Lanka

On Thursday 10th December in London, Libby Southwell will speak about responsible tourism in Sri Lanka, as the North and East coasts open up to tourists and investors.

After 37 years of conflict with the tourism industry the President of Sri Lanka is calling for a target of 2.5 million tourists by 2016, from the current average of 450,000 a year.

Investors from all over the world will visit the island to purchase vast amounts of land for tourism development. This is an exciting but also vulnerable time for Sri Lanka and issues of responsible tourism must be addressed and hopefully implemented.

Southwell is the founding director of adlibconsulting, an organisation that offers consulting services to the tourism industry within Sri Lanka & Asia focusing on corporate & brand strategy, strategic marketing services and responsible tourism practices. She said; “These are testing times for the tourism sector in Sri Lanka. There are many challenges to be faced.”

“We all need to take responsibility in this critical growth phase to ensure development and growth occurs in a sustainable and responsible manner.”

How will trains ever become the preferred method of travel?

Travelling home to Norfolk from London today, it brought home just how chaotic the UK transport system is and the service industry generally.

Amazingly on the Tube, the Northern Line was running well (miracles do happen), but as we stepped off the train at Kings Cross, the default position of British transport was clear. I don't remember a time in my life when Kings Cross was without building work, since my first trips to London over 30 years ago. In anyone's book that is a very long building project, many would say innept!

Then you reach the train station and the stupity of station managers becomes clearer as hundreds of waiting passengers are crammed into the lobby, expectantly waiting for platform announcements. What's happened to the old system of announcing platforms early, so customers have the chance to relax during their journey. The current system means there is a stampede through other waiting customers the moment a platform is announced. Often customers are given just a few minutes notice, with quite some distance to walk. Bad if you are fit and luggage free, worse if you have any sort of suitcase, even worse if you are elderly or have some form of disability.

Now I've no doubt that a large factor in the decision to flock customers into one area, is to increase revenue to the shops, and push up rents. However the shops are so badly designed that the chaos continues in them, with queues stretching around the whole shop as there aren't enough tills or enough staff or in many cases both.

I can't see any effort being made to communicate with customers. There are no interpretation boards up in the main hall, just some arty impressions of a quiet well run station, clearly the figment of some deranged mind. Why not use the space to explain the chaos being unleashed. The staff don't even seem to have had an explanation as they certainly can't or won't explain. The decision to hold customers in the main hall certainly wasn't made for customer service reasons, and does nothing to improve the experience for rail passengers. All in all it's a dreadful system, which has to change if rail is ever to become the preferred transport option. Communication with customers would be an excellent start.