VisitAberdeenshire has launched its new responsible tourism toolkit, designed to empower tourism businesses to adopt sustainable and inclusive practices.
This toolkit is designed to help businesses navigate the increasing demand for environmentally conscious experiences while offering guidance to ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment. Available to download from VisitAberdeenshire’s website, the toolkit also offers checklists and actionable steps to make small but impactful changes.
The toolkit has been created with north east tourism businesses in mind and addresses key areas for growth, such as sustainability and climate action, inclusivity, and community engagement. An important objective is how businesses can create commercial opportunities while positively impacting the environment and the local communities. The guide includes case studies from other businesses that are demonstrating sustainable and inclusive practices. Businesses are also encouraged to tell their own responsible tourism stories, and the toolkit provides tips for communicating this effectively.
Millie Clarke, Head of Tourism Development, VisitAberdeenshire said, “The Responsible Tourism Toolkit offers practical resources, and expert advice on topics such as energy efficiency, waste reduction and biodiversity.”
The ‘Purple Pound’ is the term used to describe the collective spending power of disabled people and their households. The estimated total spend on all tourism trips in Scotland by those with an impairment is £1.69 billion annually.
Millie Clarke continued, “The ‘Purple Pound’ is a hugely valuable market segment, yet only 10% of businesses have a strategy for this market. The guide is a helpful tool to understand customers’ needs, from physical impairments to neurodiversity, and the practical steps businesses can take to improve the visitor experience.”
Click here to access the responsible tourism toolkit.
