| The New Forest is a great place to visit under any | | | | Green Tourism Businesses |
| circumstances. These days things are even better as | | | | What makes a business eligible to receive the green |
| the popular tourist destination is looking for ways to | | | | leaf? The New Forest District Council and the Green |
| decrease the impact of all of its many visitors. The | | | | Leaf Tourism scheme have come up with a rough |
| advantages are clear. Cleaner air, sustainable resource | | | | set of guidelines. These are intended to focus in on |
| use, and a healthier forest are only a few of the | | | | the ways that businesses can reduce their and their |
| easiest to name. | | | | customer's carbon footprint within the forest while |
| When visiting the New Forest, tourists can choose to | | | | still remaining true to their standards of service.o Car |
| demonstrate their environmental consciousness in a | | | | Free Tourism-establishments that offer discounts and |
| number of different ways:o They can take mass | | | | other incentives to visitors in order to discourage |
| transit, walk, or bikeo They can choose green | | | | drivers from bringing their vehicles to the New |
| accommodationso They can choose green | | | | Forest.o New Forest Marquee Produce-establishments |
| restaurants and diningo They can choose to visit | | | | that sell or use seasonal locally produced food |
| green attractionso They can choose to eat locally | | | | products, thereby cutting down on the supplies that |
| produced foods | | | | are brought in from other areas and supporting local |
| No matter which option they choose, visitors will be | | | | growers and producers.o Energy Waste and |
| pleasantly surprised to discover that they can make | | | | Recycling-establishments that have committed to be |
| that choice effortlessly and save money doing so. | | | | as energy and resource efficient as possible.o |
| Eco tourism in the New Forest is designed to | | | | Landscape Conservation-establishments that are |
| enhance the experience for everyone. | | | | contributing to efforts to support local wildlife, putting |
| Leave the Car | | | | up bird and bat boxes for example.o Forest |
| One of the most important of the eco tourism | | | | Friends-Visitor Stewardship-establishments that send |
| initiatives in the New Forest is the effort to get | | | | their managers to training that equips them to better |
| visitors to leave their cars at home. By travelling to | | | | help staff and guests enjoy the forest without |
| and within the forest without cars, tourists can | | | | damaging it.o Community Tourism-establishments that |
| substantially cut down on their impact to the area. | | | | work with the community to establish the best |
| There is no need for large parking lots and the air | | | | possible relationship between the two. |
| that the trees clean, stays clean. Proponents also | | | | There are also business that have gone even further |
| point out that the best way to experience the forest | | | | to protect the New Forest. Seven of the New |
| is to enter it either on foot or by bike. Within the | | | | Forest's businesses have joined a program called the |
| New Forest you can travel by bike, boat, bus, hoof, | | | | Green Tourism Business Scheme and have gone on |
| and foot. Just use the green leaf scheme to plan | | | | to be awarded all sorts of conservationist prizes. |
| your trip. | | | | |