The need to be green and sustainable to protect the planet is increasing, in our personal lives and for businesses. Tourism is no exception with many of our attractions, activity and accommodation providers taking steps to protect the environment and be more sustainable.
in 2020, part of County Down, our region, had been one of the global “Top 100 Sustainable Destinations” for five years running. Find out more at the Green Destinations website.
With over 100 miles of coastline, many Areas of Special Scientific Interest and a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty we want to protect this special place and the impact we have on our natural surroundings. We hope that the information contained here allows you to plan a sustainable visit, be it a day trip or short break, in our region.
Green Tourism, the story so far...
A number of local businesses showed a desire to work together to collaborate and share information in order to make Ards and North Down a sustainable destination.
In 2019, the Council offered a number of local businesses a green health check. This highlighted what each business was doing well but also what could be improved in terms of being more sustainable. Businesses were also given a PDF of their green story. For the first time many of the businesses used this information to talk about how they were striving to be sustainable and what that would mean for visitors.
Read more about these Green Tourism Providers and each of their stories so far.
This project was funded by the Council’s Recycling Community Investment Fund, powered by the recycling efforts of local residents and businesses.
AND Sustainable Giants - A Green Tourism Network
In 2020, several of the businesses approached the Council to express interest in doing more and it was decided to work towards creating a Green Network. An 'Expression of Interest' was promoted publicly and potential members had to show how they met particular sustainable criteria to be considered for membership.
When the group was formed it was very much led by the members and what they wanted to achieve for their collective businesses. Their goal is to position themselves at the forefront of green and sustainable practices leading to the achievement of a 'green destination status', secured via collaboration to create sustainable visitor experiences, the sharing of best practice and a marketing plan that explains their remit to create a more green destination.
And so the AND Sustainable Giants group was born.
There are lots of sustainable experiences, activities, food and accommodation providers in Ards and North Down. Here are some providers who are taking steps to protect the environment and reduce their carbon footprint.
