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...and making life easier for Kermit the Frog.
Kermit once said it wasn’t easy being green. As being green meant you were different, you had to make choices that required extra effort and were usually more expensive. You had to go out of your way, search out for alternatives. However being green is now cool and friendly and is helping save the planet. It is as important as the flow of a river or being tall like a tree. I also want the future to be green because it is so wonderful. Let us make it simple and accessible because green is wonderful and beautiful. That’s me. I’m staying green. It’s Not Easy Being Green. Sung by Kermit the Frog©, The Best of the Muppets. Adapted by Ian Yeoman |
Kermit the frog is one of the green philosophers of this century, with many of us aspiring to be like him. However, as he says, it is difficult being green; there are many barriers and tensions. VisitScotland's scenario planning team have explored the complexities of dimensions of green futures.
Historical concerns
The debate about the environment is not new. In Victorian times, there were complaints about the arrival of the railways polluting the environment and opening up the Highlands to the English. These and others are discussed in the paper  Sustainability, eco tourism and scotland: The roots: concerns, complaints, conflicts and conservation (PDF document, 85 kb)
Climate change debate
Today, tourism is at the sharp end of the climate change debate. Some want to ban international aviation or introduce health-style warnings on airline tickets. What are the facts and how will climate change impact upon Scottish tourism in the near future?
Research by VisitScotland and the Scottish Executive provides a detailed analysis of how climate change is likely to affect Scottish tourism whether this is C02 emissions or changing biodiversity systems.
At a conference organised by VisitScotland’s scenario planning team and the Tourism Innovation Group these speakers talked about green futures:
- Ian Yeoman and Chris Greenwood of VisitScotland spoke about ‘why consumers find it difficult being green’
- Fiona Smith of Gleneagles, spoke on the business benefits of being green
- Bernard Lane, Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism spoke on what other destinations are doing and what the future holds
- BT’s Futurologist Graham Whitehead provided an insight into the future of green technologies
- Ian Henderson of TTC International described an award winning initiative in Ireland.
Sustainable study
How can the industry grow revenue by 50% and trips by 20% by the year 2015 in a sustainable manner?
A study by the Future Foundation looked at how this could be achieved by advocating a holistic approach to sustainability including using case studies of Historic Scotland and Caledonian MacBrayne.
Green thoughts
VisitScotland Chairman Peter Lederer, as part of VisitScotland’s thought leadership programme, talks about how Gleneagles is going green whereas Sue Crossman of the Tourism Innovation Group propositions how a carbon offsetting initiative could work for Scotland.
Tomorrow's World
What if the oil runs out? Tomorrows World, Consumer & Tourist volume 2, number 1 attempts to unravel the complexities of economic shocks, supply lines, political instability, carbon taxes and explain why high oil prices are good for technological innovation. The research concludes with a discussion on short term and long policy implications for Scotland’s tourism industry.
Ecotourism is seen as the consumer conscience of sustainability. VisitScotland’s authenticity scenarios, focus on the interactions of ecotourism and sustainability
Further information
For further information about green futures, please contact research@visitscotland.com
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