New European partners to learn about green tourism in the Broads
Senior National Park officials from the Netherlands and Belgium will be visiting the Broads this week to learn more about green tourism.
The two day visit from the Biesbosch National Park and Kruibeke in the Schelde Estuary, is part of the partnership learning programme of STEP –Sustainable Tourism in Estuary Parks.
STEP, part of the European Regional Development Fund’s Interreg Two Seas programme, is giving the Broads Authority 500,000 euros over the next three years to promote green tourism.
As part of the deal the Broads Authority, which holds the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism and is a national leader in green tourism, will be sharing its expertise with the other partners. In return they will host workshops in other areas of work.
Bruce Hanson, Broads Authority Head of Tourism, said: “In welcoming our STEP partners to the Broads we look forward to demonstrating the excellence of some of our tourism businesses. We will explain how our close working relationship with the Broads Tourism Forum is helping to improve quality and help businesses to go further down the road to true sustainability."
On Wednesday June 23rd the group will visit How Hill National Nature Reserve to capture the essence of the Broads. They will then hear a presentation by the founder of the Green Tourism Business Scheme which has already accredited several Broads businesses and which is now the leading green accreditation scheme world-wide.
They will later visit Broads Tours to understand the workings of the Broads holiday boating industry and embark on a river cruise for a supper of local produce.
On Thursday June 24th the party will visit two very different green businesses, the silver graded Clippesby Hall, which provides a sustainable holiday experience with self catering cottages and camping, and Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden which holds a gold Green Tourism Business Scheme Award.
21/06/10
