New Green Tourism Toolkit to support local businesses

A new Green Tourism Toolkit has been launched to support local businesses in Thanet to become more environmentally friendly and to showcase the district as a responsible tourism destination. 

Created by Thanet District Council’s Tourism Team, with support from its Climate Change Officer, the Toolkit is one part of the council’s action on the climate and biodiversity emergency (declared in 2019). It aims to show businesses how they can start to take small, simple steps in the right direction, and work in a way that is better for the planet, their customers and their business. The toolkit also shares the different ways tourism businesses in Thanet are already operating in an environmentally friendly way.

A *Study by Google in 2021 across the USA, UK, France and Germany highlighted a 70% rise in the number of travellers seeking sustainable travel options. It also highlighted that 41% of travellers were willing to pay more for sustainability.

The toolkit includes key research which focuses on how consumers are considering sustainability in their travel choices. There are also tips on how tourism businesses can be more sustainable as well as showcasing best practice examples from companies around Thanet.  Links to training opportunities for businesses and their staff also feature, along with signposting to further information sources.

Councillor Reece Pugh, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Thanet District Council said: “We are becoming increasingly aware that sustainability really does influence the decisions that travellers are making.  Visitors are increasingly looking for destinations and venues that work sustainably, that source environmentally friendly products and buy local produce.  

“The information in the Green Tourism Toolkit will help to support businesses to become more environmentally friendly. By highlighting businesses that are operating in a sustainable way, we can provide greater opportunities for the green traveller looking to visit Thanet.”

The Green Tourism Toolkit can be viewed on www.visitthanetbusiness.co.uk/green-tourism/

You can read more about our action on climate change on our website.