GREEN tourism is on the rise in south Warwickshire.
Shakespeare’s England’s, the destination management company for the area, is looking to support attractions and businesses in making the next steps to becoming more sustainable.
CEO Helen Peters said they planned to work with tourist attractions and hospitality businesses in the area to hep them reduce their carbon footprint, and also planned to produce a green credential audit of the area in a bid to encourage a collective effort towards becoming a green destination.
Taking tips from other ‘green’ destinations across the UK, these steps could range from producing a local food map, to eco facts about an attraction to fitting recycled nylon carpets.
A range of ‘green’ initiatives already taking place include the trialling of ten E-Cargo Bikes for businesses by Stratford District Council (SDC).
SDC’s E-Cargo Bike trial allows businesses to hire the bikes for free to see how they could help companies to be more sustainable.
Benefits include zero emissions, lower running costs and reduced congestion. As part of the loan, a business will have maintenance and repairs covered and some training before use. They can also advertise their business on the bikes.
One business already committed to a green future is Shakespeare’s Distillery in Stratford.
Director Peter Monks, said the company was already taking steps to becoming a carbon neutral distillery including the use of solar energy, the removal of plastic in packaging and its gin and rum bottle refill recycling scheme.
And Stratford Town Trust’s community grant scheme is supporting local climate change projects.
Speaking on their ‘Green agenda’, chief executive of Stratford Town Trust Sara Aspley said small grants would be awarded to non-profit organisations addressing the climate crisis.
The trust is also planting a further 39 native heritage fruit trees at their community orchard at Rowley Fields for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and creating a new nature reserve at Lench Meadows and Riverside.
Warwick District Council’s sustainable transport project officer Graham Folkes-Skinner said: “Stratford and Warwick District Councils (WDC) were working together on three ambitions to address the climate emergency.
They included a ‘Net Zero Carbon Council’ by 2025 and ‘Low Carbon South Warwickshire’ by 2030.
He added “Forty per cent of CO2 emissions in South Warwickshire are transport related.”
