Qualmark travel guide goes green
17 February 2010
In an industry first, AA Guides and Qualmark released a travel guide this week listing
only businesses annually assessed to meet both Qualmark quality and environmental
criteria.
While the AA Qualmark Travel Guide 2010 is the second edition printed, the free guidehalf book now includes Enviro Award logos next to businesses assessed as top performershalf in environmental practices.
Qualmark chief executive, Geoff Penrose, says it is the first guide book to providehalf assurance tourism businesses are meeting both quality and environmental standards.half “When we visit businesses, we look at their environmental practices as part of thehalf comprehensive, on-site quality assessment. They must meet the standards before theyhalf can carry our official quality mark and over 400 Enviro Award logos, now foundhalf throughout the book, recognise excellence in this area,” says Mr Penrose.
This provides guidance for travellers wishing to limit the environmental impact of theirhalf tourism experiences and value for tourism businesses committed to caring for thehalf environment, he says.
AA Tourism CEO, Peter Blackwell, says the second edition of the guide book ishalf expected to be in demand from increasingly environmentally conscious travelers.half “This book is unique within the range of information we provide and a useful tool forhalf travelling with both quality and the environment in mind,” says Mr Blackwell.half The guide book is now available free from i-SITES throughout the country.
Since August 2008, the environmental performance of all tourism businesses with ahalf Qualmark has been assessed under Responsible Tourism Operations criteria as part ofhalf on-site quality assessments. Businesses performing well in reducing environmentalhalf impact in five key action areas (energy efficiency, waste management, waterhalf conservation, community activities and conservation initiatives) are eligible to apply forhalf an Enviro-Gold, Enviro-Silver or Enviro-Bronze Award.
The initiative, referred to as Qualmark Green, was unveiled to the tourism industry by thehalf Minister of Tourism on 27 May 2008. The introduction of the Responsible Tourismhalf criteria marked a ‘world first’, with New Zealand being the first country to have a fullyhalf integrated quality and environmental performance tourism assurance system.
