VisitScotland’s Outer Hebrides network office is leading by example, having recently secured a Silver Green Tourism Business Scheme award. The staff in the Stornoway office and Tourist Information Centre (TIC) are celebrating the fact their green credentials have been recognised as the Silver standard under the stringent GTBS assessment.

The GTBS is one of the first environmental quality assurance schemes of its kind in the world and has been designed to award tourism businesses for environmental achievements.

The scheme has now been running for over ten years and is open to all tourism businesses. GTBS looks at business usage in terms of energy and water use, reducing waste, using public transport and the products they purchase. It raises awareness of how working in an environmental efficient way can help save businesses money, reduce their impact on our resources and give a green badge of approval for visitors to see. The scheme’s criteria cover 120 measures of sustainability and businesses must successfully implement at least 45 to achieve the silver award.

Angus MacMillan, Area Director, VisitScotland Outer Hebrides, said: "I would like to congratulate the VisitScotland Outer Hebrides staff on achieving the silver GTBS award and on their hard work to ensure our operations are as sustainable as possible.

"As more and more UK holiday makers look for more responsible destinations to visit and are becoming increasingly concerned about their carbon footprint, locations such as the Hebrides will benefit from UK consumers’ drive to be green. To capitalise on this, we need to make sure the Outer Hebrides tourism industry is as green as possible.

"VisitScotland’s newly formed Sustainable Tourism Unit is taking on this challenge and working with partners to make Scotland Europe’s most sustainable tourism destination.”

For more information, visit: www.greentourism.org.uk and also www.green-business.co.uk.