It is not possible, of course, but I would like to personally thank all the people who, over the last few months, have been so generous in donating to the Destination Loch Ness – Voluntary Payback Scheme, VPS.
The scheme is aimed at raising funds to carry out environmental projects around Loch Ness. It seems to be going down well with visitors and around 50% of them are happy to pay a pound on their hotel bill or, in my case, at Highland Club Scotland a customer, booking accommodation, has an option to donate a pound or five pounds, which is added to their total accommodation charge. About half of all bookers to date have opted to donate – amazing generosity, thank you – every penny will go to worthwhile projects around Loch Ness.
More Visitors than Businesses are Participating in VPS
What I have to say about this though, is that as so many visitors are willing to support this scheme, come on all you, so called, Green Businesses around Loch Ness – get off your backsides and start participating in it too!
We have a whole lot of businesses in our organisation who are members of the Green Business Tourism Scheme, GTBS, In fact we have the highest concentration of GTBS graded businesses than anywhere else in Scotland, but only a few of them are actually participating in the VPS and, on the other hand, some who are not in the GTB scheme are participating! Crazy. To me this suggests that many businesses are in the GTBS just as a marketing tool and not out of any real concern for their environment? Some, like ourselves at the Highland Club, cannot join the GTBS because we are not member of Visit Scotland or the AA! Crazy. This is, or has been, simply because Visit Scotland sponsors the GTBS. We are now told that this may change – not before time.
How does Being Green equate to quality?
There are many, many, many layers of bureaucracy and miles and miles and miles of red tape in our industry but we can cut through all that by just making sure the businesses around Loch Ness and Inverness are all behind us in making our area environmentally sustainable for tourism, just like many of our customers and visitors that come here seem to be so willing to give to, in order to achieve it.
Give business a nudge or a wide berth
Perhaps I should appeal to our visitors to give any business around the loch a nudge – ask the question “Why are you not in the VPS ?” Either that, or give preference to those who are in the scheme, because they are the ones who care enough about our future to at least try to help in a small way.
