Scotland leads the way in eco-breaks
Tourism minister Patricia Ferguson said that Scotland has become the leading sustainable tourism destination in Europe, after attending the first meeting of the Sustainable Tourism Partnership.
The group was told that efforts to make tourism in Scotland more green could help attract environmentally conscious tourists north of the border.
"Our tourism industry has the ambition, desire and drive to make Scotland the most sustainable visitor destination in the world," Ms Ferguson said, speaking at the Scottish Seabird Centre.
"Sustainability is not only about the environment. It is also about making the tourism industry economically and socially sustainable."
A poll, taken in 2005 of 60,000 booking enquiries made through responsibletravel.com, found that Scotland was the most popular eco-friendly destination in Europe, and was ranked 9th in the world.
Efforts by the executive to boost sustainability include encouraging its 16,000 staff to use accommodation accredited by the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS).
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24.08.2006.