Goldstar Awards for Green Businesses

June 7, 2011 - PRLog -- Some of the most environmentally friendly businesses in the UK are to be honoured with a Green 'Oscar' at a prestigious awards ceremony this week.

A total of 20 green tourism businesses have been shortlisted for a coveted Green Tourism Business Scheme Goldstar Award to be presented at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Knightsbridge in London on Thursday (June 9).

The ceremony, sponsored by the sustainable procurement business Beacon Purchasing, is the culmination of a week of activities throughout the UK to celebrate the inaugural Green Tourism Week (June 6-12) which aims to encourage businesses to introduce cost-saving practices that help the environment and improve profits.

The 20 finalists, which include 11 from England, seven from Scotland and two from Wales, were chosen from over 1500 green tourism companies assessed for their innovation, cost savings and green ambassadorship during the year 2010-2011.

The shortlist for the awards features a variety of businesses, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, self catering establishments, a conference centre, a theatre and an events management company.

The final 10 GoldStar award winners will join nominees for three other awards:

The Best Performance for Carbon Reduction for a Hotel Chain Award, sponsored by BSI, which will be presented to the business which has achieved the greatest carbon savings.

The Best Performance for Carbon Footprint Award, sponsored by Ecover, which will be presented to businesses in categories of hotel, bed and breakfast, guesthouse, self-catering and holiday park.

The Green Traveller Award which will be awarded to a high-profile, environmentally-considerate traveller.

The judging panel for all of the awards will include leading environmental campaigner Tony Juniper who is patron of the Green Tourism Week, Richard Hammond of greentraveller.co.uk, John Firrell, Director of the Considerate Hoteliers Association and Jon Proctor of the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

The Green Tourism Week  Awards Ceremony, sponsored by Triodos Bank and catered by Bartlett Mitchell, will be held on Thursday (9th June) at the Royal Thames Yacht Club, 60 Knightsbridge, London SW1.

Finalists for the Green Tourism GoldStar Awards are:

Alexander House in Perthshire.
Arcola Theatre in London,.
Banceithin Farm and Holiday Cottages in Wales.
Battlesteads Hotel in Northumberland.
Beeson Farm Holiday Cottages in South Devon.
Coombe Farm Trust in Devon.
Cote How Guest House in the Lake District.
Cwmbiga Farm Partnership in Wales.
Dolbeare Park in Cornwall.
Edinburgh International conference Centre
Evergreen B & B in Inverness-shire
Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire
Hoe Grange Holidays in Derbyshire.
Lochranza Youth Hostel on the Isle of Arran
Maximillion Events in Edinburgh
Mazzard Farm Holiday Cottages in East Devon
Rosehill Lodges in Cornwall
Strattons Hotel in Norfolk.
Tordown B&B Healing Centre in Glastonbury.
Treshnish & Haun Cottages on the Isle of Mull.
Wheeldon Trees Holiday cottages in Derbyshire

ENDS

For more information on Green Tourism Week (www.greentourismweek.co.uk) or GTBS (www.green-business.co.uk), please call Peppercorn PR on 0845 217 8757.

The Green Tourism Business Scheme is the only tourism certification program in the UK endorsed by VisitEngland, VisitScotland and VisitWales and has been validated by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism since 2008.
Operated by a not-for-profit organisation, Green Business, there are almost 2,500 GTBS members through the UK and Ireland.
Businesses are graded by qualified environmental assessors and can benefit from significant marketing advantage and reduced running costs of up to 20%.