Blog

As world leaders recently gathered in Baku for Cop29 it is a reminder of the ever-present threat of climate change and the need for us all to take action. 

According to the World Economic Forum a recent study puts the tourism industry's impact at 8% of global carbon emissions.  

Visit County Durham has been actively engaged in promoting regenerative tourism practices to enhance sustainability and responsibility in the tourism sector.  

As part of our ongoing commitment to a regenerative and sustainable visitor economy, Visit County Durham has become a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, a global initiative to mobilise tourism stakeholders to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. 

In October, Visit County Durham’s managing director Michelle Gorman attended the Global Destination Sustainability Forum in Bruges along with destination leaders and industry experts from around the world. It was a great opportunity to discuss sustainability as well as impact strategies and best practice.  VCD made a notable presence for the second consecutive year. Such engagements contribute to knowledge sharing and collaboration within the sustainability community.  

Through collaboration with the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) movement, we have already taken significant steps towards embedding regenerative principles in our operations. 

Visit County Durham staff have taken part in workshops focused on regenerative tourism practices, ensuring the integration of these principles into all aspects of the organisation’s activities.  

We also take part in the Global Destination Sustainability Index to benchmark our destination performance and progress in sustainable tourism practices.  In the latest assessment, VCD achieved a commendable score of 51.49% showcasing a substantial improvement from the previous year's score of 42.13%. This accomplishment reflects our dedication to sustainability and responsible tourism practices. 

Closer to home we have played a key role in the development of the North East Regenerative Visitor Economy Framework. Co-created with the involvement of over 200 stakeholders across the industry, the framework is a tool that will ultimately help the North East to become one of the world’s most sustainable, inclusive, accessible, and welcoming regions. The Regenerative Tourism Framework aims not only to minimise environmental impact but also to actively contribute to the biological, social, and economic health of the region.  

The skills and knowledge we have gathered as an organisation are shared with our partners through our Regenerative Tourism Initiative as we actively engage in promoting regenerative tourism practices to enhance sustainability and responsibility in the tourism sector. 

We have also worked hard to inform others of the need to focus on regenerative tourism by hosting Regenerative Destination Management Training courses, and members of the VCD team have completed specialised training earning certifications in Regenerative Destination Management. This training equips them with the knowledge and skills to further drive regenerative tourism initiatives within the organisation. 

As part of Destination North East England, VCD has been instrumental in facilitating businesses to obtain globally recognised sustainability certifications through the Green Tourism Scheme. This initiative recognises tourism businesses actively striving to enhance their sustainability practices, with Bronze/Silver/Gold awards serving as global indicators of environmentally friendly operations. Destination North East England's support includes fully funded year-one memberships for the first 100 businesses for Green Tourism and 25 businesses for Green Meetings, along with subsequent discounts, fostering a culture of sustainability in the region. We currently have eight businesses who are interested in joining the Green Tourism Scheme as part of the funded DNEE campaign and there are ten businesses who are already members of the scheme within the county.  The Visit County Durham team is also working towards the award. 

As we head into 2025 we will continue to work hard to meet out sustainability targets and support our partners to do the same whilst continuing to explore new ways to help tackle climate change.