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• collecting used postage stamps for local charities hotel booking

• By avoiding fully-inclusive board arrangements and by recommendations in our literature and in briefings, we encourage our guests to eat out where possible to enhance their holiday experience and boost the local economies
• Where we manage accommodation units all food and drink is sourced locally where possible
• Where we manage accommodation units we endeavour to employ as many local staff as possible to run the unit. Where necessary we provide full training.
• On our activities programmes we have been employing and training local people as assistant instructors with the long term goal of their achieving professional Royal Yachting Association Instructor Qualifications. We are also employing staff to work on our flotilla programme in Croatia.
• Approximately three quarters of our yacht spares are sourced locally. Not only does this benefit the local economy, it cuts down the transport miles and all the associated impacts that go with that aspect of importation. In addition to sourcing standard spares items, we are also working with local suppliers to supply some of our more specific needs such as customised flags and other branded items.

• encouraging staff to cycle to work by providing showers, a lock-up bike shed and deals on wheels.
• introducting interest-free loans to staff to purchase bikes to cycle to work.}
• recycling everything possible including paper, cardboard, cans, plastic bottles, CDs, glass and even coffee grounds. Mobile phones, IT hardware, toner cartridges, etc, donated to charity. Old buoyancy aids donated to Sea Scouts, etc.
• implementing an office-wide desk bin ban to encourage staff to waste less and sort their recyclables more
• recycling unwanted Christmas presents for fun charity auctions
• reusing ceramic mugs, cutlery, glasses, crockery, old letterhead, old uniforms (for rags in boatyards), and office furniture, where possible, is always sourced second hand

• energy saving by removal of lights from vending machines, fixing timers switches to water coolers and light boxes, etc travel agency

• running a water awareness day in the offices following a water survey by Southern Water. All staff given Save-a-Flush bags and tips on water saving ideas cheap hotel

• recycling old obsolete uniforms by donating them to Mission Without Borders who took them to Albania to Summer Camps for orphaned and needy children flight booking

Overseas: In general we have been: travel agent

• providing our guests with literature (in confirmation booklets and newsletters), website information and briefings containing responsible travel tips which include:

• o encouraging our guests to save water and re-use towels, save electricity and not to over-use air conditioning
• advising guests to remove packaging before travelling and to dispose of litter carefully, even to take it home where no waste or recycling facilities are available
• advising guests not to buy souvenirs made from endangered plants or animals, to avoid picking wild flowers and not to touch coral, etc.

• Conducting surveys of overseas accommodation and resorts for environmental and ethical practices and impacts. To be used as basis for setting objectives in areas highlighted by survey Overseas.}
• In resorts we have been:
• In Halkidiki, Greece: We are trialling a new recycling initiative courtesy of a local school. They have loaned us their recycling collection bins (which were provided by the municipality) for the duration of the summer. We have these located now at our centre and the local council will collect and recycle the contents.
• On our yachts: We have provided a yachting-specific sheet of tips for conserving the marine environment. All our old oil is syphoned into cans to avoid any possibility of spillage. Where possible, all materials are reused in some way, for example, old yacht ropes become mooring lines for dinghies and old sailcloth is made into laundry bags or car covers, old uniforms are used for cleaning engines.
• On our shore-based activities programme we no longer use anti-fouling on our dayboats and where possible we use 4-stroke outboard engines on our powerboats to reduce noise, fuel consumption and emissions.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR: FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

• Tasking our overseas staff to identify

  3 long-term initiatives that will bring positive benefits to the economies, communities and environments in which they live and work hotel chicago

• Working with

  The Travel Foundation to seek ways to develop practical, sustainable tourism solutions to help protect and enhance holiday destinations. online booking

• Working with the

  Federation of Tour Operators to develop responsible travel codes of practice. travel health insurance

Green Neilson - Our Tips Introduction Our Tips Our Policy Ski and Snowboard Beachclubs Yachting Children Thomas Cook Travelife Awards Carbon Offsetting

There is increasing feedback to suggest that our customers have the interests of their holiday destinations at heart. We believe Neilson customers are people who enjoy spending time in beautiful environments and who appreciate the cultural diversity that foreign travel can offer. We all have a vested interest in protecting these locations, but how can we all play our part Well, the old proverb every little helps is certainly true. Imagine, for example, if all our guests refused one plastic carrier bag from a shopkeeper during their holiday. That would mean around 100, 000 plastic bags would fail to make it to landfill sites each year. hotel reservation

So what else can you do We have put together a few ideas that you might like to consider. Before You Go.... london hotel booking

• Remove packaging before you go (soap wrappers, cardboard boxes, etc) - don t export our rubbish. discount travel

• Travel light - it s cooler, saves aircraft fuel and you can live without the ghetto blaster and heated rollers for two weeks. orlando hotel

• Read up on the country of your destination - you ll get more out of your holiday. Learn a few words of the language - it s a good way to make friends. booking agency

• Bring back plastic shampoo bottles, batteries, etc. You re more likely to find a plastic recycling facility back in the UK. international travel medical

• Try to find environmentally-friendly shampoos and detergents to take with you - the chances are that whatever you use will end up in the sea. new york hotel

While You re There....

• Use air conditioning with care. It wastes energy if left running unnecessarily and won t work with open windows or doors. Leaving fans running when not in the room wastes energy and can actually increase the room temperature. online travel booking

• Save water - and in doing so save the power needed to heat it. Take a shower instead of a bath and reuse your towels. travel medical insurance

• Save electricity - mains electricity burns non-renewable fossil fuels and contributes to the greenhouse effect. miami hotel

• Wherever you are, beach or mountain - dispose of litter carefully - it s not only an eyesore, it can be hazardous to wildlife, too. For example, plastic bags in the sea can be mistaken for jellyfish, a delicacy if you are a turtle! Beware of fire - in hot dry countries, forest fires are a serious problem. Even a piece of broken glass can set one off. air deccan booking

• If youre a smoker - No Butts please! - don t litter the beach or flick them from the chairlift - they take up to six years to biodegrade, and that s assuming they re not eaten first by hungry fauna . Instead, ensure you leave no trace by carrying a camera film pot. A bit of sand in the bottom creates a handy sealable travelling ashtray, which can be emptied at your accommodation. las vegas nevada travel

• Skiers - Don t assume that just because there s snow, that everywhere is fair territory for carving. Explore by all means, but respect your playground and try not to ski amongst obviously delicate flora . Skis can easily cut through saplings and plants, often killing them. Ski around them, not through them (with the added bonus of avoiding later retaliation from a tree! - Ouch). las vegas nv hotel

• Divers - Leave nothing but bubbles - take nothing but photographs. Responsible divers all know that the fragile underwater environments we visit must be protected. Taking souvenirs from the seabed and touching the wildlife and coral reefs are unacceptable. hotel florence booking online

• Please leave the flowers and seashells for others to enjoy. Avoid buying souvenirs made from endangered plants and animals such as coral, ivory and hardwoods. If in any doubt don t buy it. orlando travel

• Enjoy the local culture but be sensitive to local people. Ask permission before taking photographs (and don t be surprised if they want payment - from their perspective you can afford it!) and wear appropriate clothing when entering holy places. hilton hotel

• Buy local: it s a great way to enhance your holiday experience while contributing to the local economy. Eat at the local restaurants, shop at the craft markets, try the bus service rather than going by taxi. Not only will this add a hint of adventure to your holiday it s more fuel-efficient, too. You could even hire a bike. booking delta com

} Some of these ideas may be irrelevant to you. Others you might practice already. You probably have ideas of your own, in which case, please share them with us. Contact us by dropping an email to Nancy Brock at responsible.business@neilson.com . More information can be found at the following website: www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk Neilson News Blog About Us Sponsored by Neilson Holiday Extras Flight Only Booking Conditions Responsible Travel Site Map Jobs Contact Us Privacy Policy travel insurance online

Introduction Our Tips Our Policy Ski and Snowboard Beachclubs Yachting Children Thomas Cook Travelife Awards Carbon Offsetting Making a Difference -Ski Holidays

At Neilson, we recognise that there are certain impacts associated with ski activities, both negative and positive, over which we and our partners have considerable control. We send thousands of skiers} on holiday each winter so even the smallest adjustment to the way we run our holidays will have a considerable effect. So the best course of action open to us is to identify those impacts, build on the positive, reduce the negative and continue to seek solutions to the challenges facing us in this arena. We have already started along this road with the following initiatives: london hotel

Awareness:

% On the mountain advice is printed in our ticket packages and is covered at all client ski briefings by our reps in resort % General tips for responsible travellers are available on our website and cover such issues as energy and water conservation, littering, buying locally, and ski specific tips. % Our travel documentation contains tips for travellers, in particular ski ones, plus information about the Travel Foundation and a few words of the local languages. online hotel booking

% At our start of season staff briefings, we task our overseas staff to identify 3 long-term initiatives that will bring positive benefits to the economies, communities and environments in which they live and work during their season. travel insurance

% The Travel Foundation have produced a DVD aimed at introducing overseas staff to the principles of responsible tourism. All our ski staff take part in this new training at the start of the ski season. paris hotel

% We have introduced a Responsible Travel Award for our ski accommodation suppliers in recognition of their contribution to sustainable business practices and highlighting the winners in our brochure with a special logo. We hope that the added kudos will encourage more of our suppliers to take part. The additional informaton also helps our customers to make a more informed choice about where they take their holidays. airline booking

% A back-of-house poster has being designed and printed by the Travel Foundation for resort offices to raise awareness amongst our staff. travel trailer

Social/Economic:

% We have moved away from selling bar crawls and are focussing instead on mountain based activities run in partnership with local suppliers such as ski clinics, ice fishing, dog sledding and visits to national wildlife parks. san francisco hotel

% In Neilson-run chalets and lodge hotels, we source our food and drink locally where possible. % In Neilson catered chalets and lodges we leave one night per week free to encourage our guests to try out the local restaurants. air ticket booking

Environmental/Waste Management:

% We no longer routinely provide toiletries to guests in Neilson-run accommodation - they must bring their own or buy a Platinum Package. cheap travel

% Old ski uniforms are donated to Mission without Borders via Global Hands % Our ski brochure is printed on paper from managed forests, for 2005/6 we made it 25% lighter and our print run has been reduced by 27%} over the last 3 years. We tell our customers about this in our brochure. % We now print our promotional booklet, % he Nth Degree% on 50% recycled paper. This has been nominated for an award. bangkok hotel

% This winter in some of our French properties, we are trialling a system of installing flow restrictors to the taps and showers, plus putting Eco-Plaques in the toilet cisterns to reduce the amount of water usage. Monitored correctly we hope to reduce our water consumption by around 40%. Such measures are important to help keep the reservior levels at an appropriate level after a winter season of long shower and snowmaking. music booking

% We have an auto-dosing system for all cleaning materials in our own run properties. And finally, in November 2005 we won a Responsible Tourism Award at the World Travel Market for % b Best in a Mountain Environment% in recognition of our innovative approach to sustainability in the mass ski market. Making a Difference % Canada % No bar crawls are offered here and a good selection of mountain friendly outdoor activities are offered such as snow-shoeing, interpretive nature walks, dog sledding, ski clinics, wildlife observation tours and a night time snow-shoeing event with stargazing called Heavenly Bodies travel and tourism

% Banff and Lake Louise (and their ski areas) are located in Banff National Park and Jasper is located in Jasper National Park. Many aspects of environmental protection in these resorts are controlled by Parks Canada. For example, there is no commercial snowmobiling in the Parks, no dog sledding, no heli-skiing - you have to leave the Park to take part in these activities. The ski areas in the Park have strict limitations on development. new york city hotel

% All Canadian ski resorts (except Tremblant) have non-smoking policies in bars, restaurants and hotel lobbies. % Fairmont Hotels. All guest rooms are supplied with a leaflet called % aking a Difference Together% which includes information on waste reduction (they have an extensive recycling programme which covers most things from paper to wine corks!), water conservation measures (the installation of flow restrictors and other such measures has reduced their water consumption by an average of 31%), habitat and species protection schemes and encouraging customers to help, too. air asia ticket booking

Making a Difference % Neilson Chalets and Hotels - Austria

In addition to the extensive recycling that is so prevalent in Austria, in all Neilson-run chalets, hotels and lodges we also ensure: % Our free chalet wine is all locally sourced wine % from a winery in Vienna % Most of our other Austrian wine on offer is organic (following a scandal in Austria some years ago where antifreeze was being used and now many wineries are erring on the side of caution). los angeles travel

% We now have a biodynamic wine on offer in the Tyrol and Mounty % lots of info can be found on websites such as wineanorak.com and the vineyard% own site % M.Chapoutier. % this is taking organic a step further where the entire farm is also in tune with the tides / moon. We have information available to guests who are interested in it. It tastes good too! cancun hotel

% The beer we sell in all properties is also locally produced % Ottakringer is a brewery in Vienna % this is our tap beer. % All our self run properties have water saving advice sheets on the backs of the bathroom doors. % We employ 3 local cleaning ladies and a general manager % They all work within the legal guidelines of the country and are paid locally complying with all local tax and employment laws. hotel booking florence

% All our hospitality staff had a training session in our in resort training on the responsible business policy and everyone watched the Travel Foundation DVD. } Making a Difference % Neilson Chalets and Hotels - France % We are sourcing produce for our Neilson run chalets and hotels locally wherever we can. For example we provide wine which is sourced locally in the Savoie region from a family run business, bread is always bought from a local bakery in resort and local seasonal food produce utilised whenever possible. business travel

% Our Platinum Chalets in France use toiletries which are produced a few hours from the alps in Provence. % We employ 2 managers, 2 cleaners and a waiter locally. They all work within the legal guidelines of the country and are paid locally complying with all local tax and employment laws. % All our staff have had at least one training session on Neilson% Responsible Travel policy and how we plan to implement this in resort. atlantic city hotel

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