As the summer is heating up in Wales, we've put together some ideas of how you can enjoy an environmentally friendly holiday in Wales.
Mid Wales has been recognised for a long time as a destination for the environmentally conscious visitor and has a wealth of places to stay and visit which has the environment at the heart of the operation. By visiting the renowned Centre for Alternative Technology, visitors can also take away some principles for greener living.
Visit the Centre for Alternative Technology website for more details.
The Dyfi Valley was also recently recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere. A Biosphere is a special area in which people work to balance the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.
In North Wales the winners Green Snowdonia Tourism Awards have recently been announced. Six businesses who demonstrate that operating sustainably can enhance the experience they are offering to visitors, and can go hand-in-hand with exciting activities and high quality accommodation scooped the awards.
Tree Top Adventure Ltd, Betws y Coed was named as the overall winner for the Best Sustainable Tourism Business. Visitors to the centre can enjoy an adventurous journey, deep in the forest of Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia high in the tree tops.
Visit the Tree Top Adventure website for more details.
The award for promoting Language and Culture, which was sponsored by Visit Wales went to Llannerch Goch Guest House and Self Catering Accommodation, Capel Garmon. Details of the other winners are available on the Green Snowdonia Website.
The Swansea Valley Holiday Cottages were shortlisted for the Wales Sustainable Tourism Business Awards in 2007 and won in 2008. There is no excuse for anyone staying at Swansea Valley Holiday Cottages not to end their holiday having become very well informed about all aspects of sustainability, the local wildlife and the local culture. The provision of useful and interesting information is a particular feature of staying here. Feedback from guests shows how much they appreciate it and many have returned for that very reason.
Visit the Welsh Holiday Cottages website for more details.
Proving that there’s no need to compromise on style and design when being environmentally friendly, Fron Las in Llandeilo has style and environmental considerations at the heart of the development. The three individually designed boutique hotel rooms offer views of the Brecon Beacons, designer wallpaper murals, flat-screen televisions, dvd players, wi-fi access and luxury organic mattresses. Chic, and eco-friendly too, with an organic breakfast sourced from Wales, underfloor heating, eco-electricity and solar panels.
Visit the Fron Las website for more information.
The forestry commission’s visitor Centre and Bwlch Nant yr Arian Mountain Biking centre which opened in 2005 is one of the first of over 30 of the Forestry Commission’s centres that are being designed to the highest environmental standards. Resource efficiency has been incorporated into all aspects of the building itself, and into the operation of the centre and the offices. The result is an attractive centre that is appealing to visitors, practical for people to use and educational in its very existence.
Another aspect of enjoying an environmentally friendly holiday is enjoying the local produce which Wales has to offer. The Welsh Assembly Government has recently launched a Food Tourism Strategic Action Plan. The plan seeks to develop links between food and tourism to help Wales capitalise on the economic benefits of providing visitors with a unique, high quality and distinctive food experience.
These days, you can also get around Wales in a green manner by making the most of the services that are on offer such as Sherpa buses, buses which link up walking trails, taking the train - or even a water taxi. The Freedom of Wales Flexi Pass is one ticket that gives you the freedom to enjoy unlimited access to all of Wales’ mainline train services and almost every bus service. And that is just for starters. Ticket holders also receive an amazing range of other benefits, including 'two for one' entry or discounted admission to many of Wales’ biggest tourist attractions.
Visit the Traveline-Cymru website for more details
The Heritage Minister, Alun Ffrfed Jones, said:
“The high quality of Wales’s natural and built environment and its distinctive character are vital to the tourism industry. For tourism to prosper it is essential we safeguard and enhance our unique assets which visitors come here to enjoy. Acknowledging the potential of the environment will always be a key priority in the development of tourism; and to be sustainable, the impact of visitors on the environment must be well managed for the benefit of future generations.”