Tourism Vancouver says it has become the first tourism organisation in the world to employ a “tourism energy specialist” to help local hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions achieve energy efficiency.
The role is being funded through sponsorship from local clean-energy provider BC Hydro and is part of a plan to make Vancouver the world’s “greenest city” by 2020.
Tourism Vancouver has more than 1000 members and says a survey found most respondents by far were interested in the services of an energy specialist. The new position is part of a range of green programs by Tourism Vancouver, including using an environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral printing company for its printed material.
The organisation also has a “tourism ambassadors for conservation” project, in which recognised industry leaders sign a conservation pledge and then help spread the word to other businesses.
The executive vice-president of Tourism Vancouver, Paul Vallee, says respecting the city’s spectacular natural setting is an important part of marketing its tourism wares. ”Our new tourism energy specialist position helps to ensure we’re conscious of our environmental footprint,” he says.
This article is an excerpt from Jane E. Fraser’s weekly travel column in The Sun Herald, Sydney.
