Our Strategy for Sustainable Tourism
Global economists forecast continuing international tourism growth, ranging between three and six percent annually, depending on the location. As one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries, this continuous growth will place great stress on remaining biologically diverse habitats and indigenous cultures, which are often used to support mass tourism. Tourists who promote sustainable tourism are sensitive to these dangers and seek to protect tourist destinations, and to protect tourism as an industry.
Sustainable tourists can reduce the impact of tourism in many ways, including: informing themselves of the culture, politics, and economy of the communities visited; anticipating and respecting local cultures’ expectations and assumptions; contributing to intercultural understanding and tolerance supporting the integrity of local cultures by favouring businesses which conserve cultural heritage and traditional values supporting local economies by purchasing local goods and participating with small, local businesses; and conserving resources by seeking out businesses that are environmentally conscious, and by using the least possible amount of non-renewable resources
At Helsbury Park we recognise that we are incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful place and that everything we do has an environmental and social cost. As a result we are committed to continuous improvements in environmental and social performance to promote Sustainable Tourism and to keep Helsbury Park and the surrounding area beautiful and thriving for future generations.
We do this by:
- Increasing the efficiency of energy use, for example by using low energy light bulbs, solar thermal for heating water and PV panels to generate electricity
- Reducing waste by buying goods locally with a minimum of packaging, reusing shopping bags and cardboard boxes, and recycling as much material as possible.
- Minimising food miles and supporting the local economy by using Cornish produce in our welcome packs
- Using environmentally friendly and Fair Trade products and supporting B Corp businesses.
- Ensuring that waste and effluent is disposed of in a responsible manner – composting, effluent processed through a septic tank, soakaway and bio-treatment plant and surface water is handled through soakaways and reed beds.
- Maintaining land for wildlife
- Maximising biodiversity and maintaining varied habitats.
- Continuous monitoring.
- Supporting community organisations.
We have been members of both the Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project (known as COAST) and the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) as an indication of our commitment to Sustainable Tourism. GTBS is the most successful environmental accreditation body of tourism related businesses in Europe including accommodation providers, visitor attractions, tour operators and conference facilities. We attained a Gold award for our strategy which we continue to follow.
You can help us in simple ways, please:
- Recycle your waste.
- Switch off appliances, lights and taps when not in use, and report dripping taps.
- Put sanitary waste, nappies, etc in the bin not down the loo.
- Use the washing lines in preference to tumble drying.
- Do not leave doors and windows open when the heating is on.
- Consider having a day on site or using a bike to reduce car use.
- Use only our natural cleaning and laundry products.
- Do not throw away empty soap and cleaning product bottles as they can all be refilled.