With 22.7 million staying and 96 day visitors per year (2008), South West England has every reason to pride itself the most popular tourist destination in the UK. But not only that, it is also one of the greenest, embracing sustainability and responsible tourism like no other tourist destination. What makes South West England - including the regions of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Whiltshire - so unique in terms of sustainability? This post aims to provide a quick introduction into the concept of sustainable tourism and what England's South West is doing to get policy into action.

Meeting the needs of the visitor, industry and community within environmental and social limits is how tourist destinations, such as South West England, interpret the sometimes rather nebulous concepts of sustainability and sustainable development. A challenging undertaking if one considers the multitude of stakeholders involved in tourism and their very specific needs and expectations. However, sustaining tourism within social and environmental limits is crucial for the region. 9 billion GBP visitor spend a year mean that up to 262.000 jobs exist thanks to tourism, with tourism counting for up to 22% of total employment in Cornwall alone. To secure this source of revenue and jobs, a sustainable approach towards tourism development is indispensable.

Towards 2015

Tourism planners in the South West were quick to realize the need for sustainable tourism and responded with a vision paper, Towards 2015, which emphasizes on sustainability and quality as the only way forward. The executive summary of this strategy paper also makes clear that a new strategic approach (as of 2005) of tourism will:

* protect the environment;
* improve the quality of life of local people;
* take advantage of the region’s existing strengths;
* create a long-term and sustainable industry.

Walk the talk

No strategy paper or vision document is worth the paper it is written on if implementation lacks behind or no action follows. So far, initiatives and (online) marketing messages suggest that policy implementation is going well in South West England. There, dozens of initiatives have emerged in the last few years, some of the most prominent being the Green Tourism Business Scheme and - not only inspring, but also very informative - websites, such as www.visitsouthwest.co.uk.

However, a new coalition government is leading Whitehall, which inevitably means new policies and priorities. No mentioning of sustainability or responsible tourism in the keynote speech of designated culture minister Jeremy Hunt, who instead prefers to focus on industry growth, the 2012 Olympics and forthcoming cuts in government spending.

Apart from that, there are some limitations regarding the sustainable development of England's South West. Being a predominantly rural area, poor public transport links can make it difficult to do without a car, especially when travelling with young kids. On the positive side, consumer awareness of sustainability issues and climate change is steadily increasing - not least due to extensive media reporting. In the end, it remains to be seen if Cornwall, Devon and co. will manage to keep their well intended pledges for a sustainable tourism future.

More info on sustainable tourism, or visit booking site www.responsibletravel.com

By Florian,

Journalist and Blogger on sustainability, csr and climate change
http://blog.floriankaefer.com

Picture credit: Neil Kennedy