Guidance Notes for Participants 2007/8
1. Car-Free Tourism - By offering car free discounts all year (1.1) you are making a commitment to encouraging car-free tourism. However there are other ways to score points in this section. For example, providing package or seasonal car-free price promotions (1.2), car free incentives 1.3 or offering free transport to & from your property from local public transport networks (1.4). Points are also awarded for promotion & provision of activities that are not reliant on the private motor car, such as cycling and walking (1.5, 1.6, 1.7)
2. New Forest Marque – By purchasing New Forest Marque Produce, you are supporting New Forest businesses, reducing food miles and your carbon foot-print! You will be providing high quality products to your customers that are distinctive, free-range and in many cases, organic. Self catering businesses and attractions that do not serve food are awarded extra points for promotion of NFM produce (2.4, 2.5, 2.6) as they do not serve food and therefore cannot score points for (2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
3. Landscape & Conservation- whatever the size of your grounds, garden or outdoors space, you can help support wildlife and increase biodiversity. From putting up bird and bat boxes, to planting British native trees and shrubs, it can all help to support our wildlife. We will be working with partner organisations to help provide advice, support and information on how you can make a difference.
4. Visitor Stewardship Programme - Forestry Commission staff will help deliver a series of educational site visits for those involved in tourism businesses and community representatives. The purpose of this is to provide information about forest management, commoning, sensitive habitats & recreational pressures. On the day you will meet a diverse range of stakeholders & have the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about this unique landscape. This knowledge should then be passed on to guests, visitors, staff and other community networks that you come into contact with. For (4.2) all you have to do is agree to receive more copies of the “New Forest Visitor Pack” and promote the key message. If you are interested in joining the New Forest Trust’s Visitor Gift Scheme or want to find out more about it, please contact: Richard Manleyon 07836 580554 www.newforesttrust.org.uk
5. Energy, Waste & Recycling Audit Training - Sign up to free Energy, Waste, Water & Recycling Training Seminars by ticking the box. You will also receive 30 points towards the scheme. We are working with various partners to provide this free training to help you save money and make your business and community more sustainable!
6. Community Support – Through supporting your local community you can help to foster a good relationship between the tourism industry in the new forest and local people. By joining/supporting your Local Community Tourism Group or through active participation in local community based events and activities, you can make a positive impact on people’s attitudes.
7. Communication –Through effective communication you can raise the awareness of the important cultural and environmental aspects of tourism and help ‘sell’ the New Forest as a ‘Green’ destination. By ensuring that staff are part of a ‘green team’, or that industry partners and community networks are fully aware of the principles of the GLTS, you will be reinforcing message that the New Forest is at the forefront of sustainable tourism in the UK.
If you have any problems completing the form, understanding the criteria or achieving the pass
mark, please contact Paul Fulford
Tel: 023 8028 5102
Fax: 023 8028 5346
Email: paul.fulford@nfdc.gov.uk