Our Green Tourism update
When we embarked on the Green Tourism Scheme, we really had no idea what a commitment this would be. We are having to work very hard to keep our standards as high as possible. What we also didn’t understand was what a huge benefit the Scheme is in guiding us on our sustainable journey. The Green Tourism team gives us such a lot of positive support and encouragement, while at the same time identifying the further challenges that we need to face to continue to improve. If any business is thinking if this would be a useful step for them, we would definitely recommend the Scheme. We have just submitted our annual report and are very pleased that we have retained our Gold Award status and have received very positive feedback. This makes us feel really proud that we are doing our best to be an environmentally friendly business and have a clear understanding of how to achieve this The report has also identified actions for improvement so we can't rest on our laurels and will be setting goals for our next review!.
Our latest report from Green Tourism
Hebrides Cruises have done an excellent job in not only retaining the Green Tourism Gold award but increasing their score thanks to some new initiatives. The team has displayed an excellent understanding of sustainability and awareness of opportunities and challenges associated with running a responsible business. They continue to incorporate sustainability into every aspect of their cruises, whilst maintaining extraordinary levels of customer service and biodiversity knowledge on each trip.
HIGHLIGHTS
Health & Wellbeing – An excellent performance in all areas of protecting and supporting staff and customer health and wellbeing.
Destination – Excellent promotion of the heritage, events, and local places of interest in the destination that visitors may not come across normally and how to enjoy them in a sustainable manner
Communication- Excellent example of how to put across your green story, initiatives, and projects that you have undertaken to your customers, suppliers, and the wider world.
Travel – Strong Commitment to promoting and facilitating sustainable travel options for visitors and for the business.
Biodiversity – Excellent commitment to promoting, protecting, recording, and preserving biodiversity on and off-site.
This was our first trip with Hebrides Cruises and right from the word go it was clear we had chosen a very professional & client centered operator. From the time of being welcomed by the crew of Elizabeth G and Owner Rob & Emma, at the jetty head to the time of our departure we were extremely well looked after, plus the Scottish clouds parted and we had a wonderful week of sun which simply added to the delights of our adventure. Alasdair as Captain was brilliant, Charlie always cheerfully produced fabulous meals from her galley, Craig as bosun and 'cabin fairy' kept the ship spic and span, and was always charming, and last but not least, Hannah our wild life expert (& fellow Northumbrian) was full of enthusiasm and knowledge, so every day was a school day for us in expanding our knowledge of wildlife in this area. Highlights included puffins on Lunga, Common dolphins in the bow wave, Eagles, Otters and Joanne's birthday (same day as Rob's it turned out!) with a fabulous ship made carrot cake and fizz to welcome us back aboard after a great day ashore on Iona and an interesting ride back in the rib!! As reasonably regular sailors on both larger ships and smaller yachts (crewed by just us!), this was a wonderful way to experience the West coast of Scotland and its many hidden gems. The problem now, is which one to choose next.......
Keith & Joanne Jackson: 20 April 2024Idyllic Islands: Mull, Iona, Staffa & the Treshnish Isles