Announcing the publication of the Green Travel ListFrom log cabins to boutique hotels, surfing to snowshoeing, desert lodges to jungle treksÂ… 75 ways to tread lightly Travel website, greentraveller.co.uk, based in London, UK, has compiled a list of the top 75 green travel and tourism companies, which was published in the Guardian newspaper. The inaugural Green Travel List is a definitive guide to the most outstanding green travel companies across ten categories, which included Small Hotels, Large Hotels, Summer Activities, Winter Activities, Wildlife Watching and Community Projects. A panel of travel and tourism experts, chaired by Graham Miller, Director of International Studies at the University of Surrey, decided which companies should appear on the list. Among the panel were Tim Smit, Chief Executive and co-founder of The Eden Project, Alastair Sawday, founder of Sawday's Special Places to Stay guidebooks, and Miranda Krestovnikoff, television presenter and wildlife expert for BBC's The One show. The list was supported by the sustainable development organisation Forum for the Future. Among those companies included on the list were a kayaking company in Jersey, a mountain-biking centre in North Wales, a luxury chalet in the Alps, an environmental education centre on Ibiza, and a pioneering community-based tourism enterprise in Ethiopia. Richard Hammond, founder of greentraveller.co.uk, said:"The aim of the Green Travel List is to help travellers find a greener holiday. It does not single out individual winners; instead the idea is to provide a comprehensive list of a wide range of travel and tourism companies who have convinced us that sustainability is at the heart of their business." The Green Travel List was published in the Guardian newspaper with an introduction by John Vidal, the Guardian's Environment Editor. The full list of winners is published online at: http://www.greentraveller.co.uk/content/green-travel-list-full-0 <http://www.greentraveller.co.uk/content/green-travel-list-full-0>
About the Green Travel ListMore than 200 travel and tourism companies were asked to complete an online questionnaire, which asked for specific information about any actions that have been taken to reduce carbon impact as well as other aspects of sustainability, such as water preservation, waste management and biodiversity conservation. A panel of travel and tourism experts, chaired by Dr Graham Miller, Director of International Studies at the University of Surrey, read the completed questionnaires and decided on the final list. The aim was to identify companies that have introduced significant changes to their business, the products they offer and the way they perform. Any measures that are highly replicable and scalable weighed in their favour, particularly where a transparent degree of monitoring was demonstrated. The panel of judgesVisitor Attractions, worldwide: Tim Smit, co-founder & chief executive of The Eden ProjectSmall Hotels, UK & Ireland: Alastair Sawday, founder of Sawday's Special Places to StayWildlife Watching: Miranda Krestovnikoff, wildlife expert and television presenterSummer Activities: Kate Rew of the Outdoor Swimming SocietyWinter Activities: Stewart Sheppard, manager, Eco Guides, Mountain RidersSmall Hotels, worldwide: JP Bergkvist, former VP of sustainable business Scandic HotelsCommunity Projects: Dan Linstead, editor of Wanderlust travel magazineVisitor Attractions, UK and Ireland: Rochelle Turner, head of research, Which? HolidayLarge Hotels, worldwide: Stephanie Draper, director, Forum for the FutureTransport: Leo Hickman, Guardian journalist specialising in ethical living. About greentraveller.co.ukgreentraveller.co.uk is a website that provides information on how to have a greener holiday. It features trips that can be conveniently reached by train, as well as a range of green accommodation. The website's unique journey planner gives practical advice (including prices and sample itineraries) for over 80 train journeys from London St Pancras International to Europe and suggestions for stopover hotels in Paris, Lille and Brussels as well as further afield in Madrid, Copenhagen and Morocco. It also has an award-winning blog that features news, reviews and tips on how to go green from leading eco travel writers. greentraveller.co.uk was founded in 2006 by green travel writer, Richard Hammond, co-author of Clean Breaks - 500 new ways to see the world (Rough Guides) and travel editor of National Geographic Green magazine supplement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------\ -------------------------------------Press EnquiriesRichard Hammond, founder and director, greentraveller.co.ukE-mail: richard AT greentraveller.co.uk; Tel: +44 (0) 20 7272 4153Greentraveller Limited, The Hub, 5 Torrens Street, London EC1V 1NQ United Kingdom
