Tourism Oxford Receives Green Tourism Certificate

Wednesday, 23 August 2017 at 03:47

Oxford County can now boast to having the only Tourism office in Canada with a Gold level certificate from Green Tourism.

OXFORD COUNTY : Tourism Oxford has earned a gold designation for their efforts in promoting green tourism.

The designation was awarded by Green Tourism which is validated by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism. The Green Tourism certification program began in the UK in 1997 as a way to help tourism operators improve sustainability. Oxford County is the first gold-level certificate granted to a tourism office in Canada.

Tourism Specialist Meredith Maywood tells Heart FM about some of the reasons they earned the Green Tourism recognition.

"That were promoting activities that people can do in the area, whether that be car free travel, so visiting a community and stops that you can take in using local transit or going out and sourcing local food."

Maywood adds this new gold destination is going to make it easier for them to attract visitors to the County.

"People want to visit destinations that support their values. Therefore, Tourism Oxford is pleased to announce that it is now part of Green Tourism Canada's certification program - and we received a gold rating. We have already had positive comments from the travel industry about our participation in this program."

CEO of GreenStep Solutions and Green Tourism Canada Angela Nagy says Oxford County should be proud for taking a leadership role in promoting green tourism.

"Green Tourism Canada has been working with destination marketing organizations (DMOs), across the nation to help them assess their sustainability performance and take a leadership role in promoting green businesses practices to their tourism stakeholders. We are very pleased to congratulate Tourism Oxford for being the first DMO in Canada to achieve a Gold Award. working within Oxford County's LEED Silver offices and actively participating in their goal to achieve zero waste by 2025, Tourism Oxford has demonstrated an above-average commitment to sustainability. From composting to providing showers and secure bike storage, to local procurement practices, and long-term sustainability goals, they are well-deserving of this award and a shining example for the tourism industry they support."

Membership & Business Development, Travel Industry Association Ontario Carol Greenwood says this is a great achievement for Tourism Oxford.

"Congratulations to Oxford County on achieving a Green Tourism Certification! Sustainable tourism is increasingly important for the tourism industry: 76 per cent of surveyed travellers sometimes or always consider a company's green program when deciding to purchase tourism products. In earning this designation, Oxford County exemplifies leadership and dedication to providing sustainable experiences for visitors."

Oxford Tourism has launched a new web page to highlight some of the green trip planning tools, car free adventures and local food destinations. You can find a link to the new web page online here.