Why does VisitBritain endorse only sustainable tourism certification programmes that have been validated?
VisitBritain has a duty of care to promote only tourism service providers that meet high standards. The process of validation ensures that the certification programmes that VisitBritain endorses are fit for purpose, and that claims of sustainability and environmental friendliness are genuine. What does it mean when VisitBritain says a tourism supplier is green? It means that it has been certified to meet the standards of one of the validated certification bodies. It does not mean everything that company does is sustainable or environmentally friendly, but that they have met the minimum requirements set by that body, at the level they have been certified. How to be validated as a scheme If you operate a sustainable tourism certification scheme in Britain and you wish to apply for validation, please contact the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) at Leeds Metropolitan University (Dr Xavier Font 0113 8125880, www.icrtourism.org) for more information. ICRT are an impartial
