Visit Leicester has officially announced its Green Days, Green Stays and Green Ways campaign, a major initiative designed to highlight the benefits of regenerative tourism and encourage eco-friendly travel throughout the city and county.
Tourists the world over are increasingly aware of the impact of their travel and want to know that their choices make a positive difference, rather than leave a negative impact. Moving beyond traditional sustainability, the campaign focuses on "regenerative tourism" - an approach that allows visitors to immerse themselves in local culture, eat food grown and made nearby, reconnect with nature, and support independent businesses while leaving a minimal environmental footprint.
As the UK’s first Environment City, Leicester is uniquely positioned to lead this movement. The campaign showcases the region's diverse "green" assets:
Green Days: celebrates authentic experiences, from exploring the city’s 190+ parks, gardens and open spaces that offer an oasis of calm, visiting an attraction that is taking initiatives to reducing its carbon footprint to getting back to nature in the countryside or learning traditional woodland skills in the National Forest.
Green Stays: Highlights accredited, eco-friendly accommodation, including Green Key certified hotels and tech-free rural hideaways.
Green Ways: Promotes low-impact travel via an extensive network of walking routes, National Cycle Route 6, and the city’s signature green e-buses.
The initiative spotlights local businesses and attractions leading the way in carbon reduction. This includes the National Space Centre, which explores humanity's impact on the solar system and Earth’s ecosystems, and local breweries that use solar energy to produce over 100,000 pints of beer annually.
City attractions at King Richard III Visitor Centre and Jewry Wall both use systems to reduce energy usage and selected planting in the gardens that does not need additional watering. There are cafés on national cycle routes that only source local ingredients to reduce food miles and tech free hideaways where you can immerse yourself in nature for a while and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place marketing at Leicester City Council, said:
“People want to know that their choices make a difference. Through this campaign, we are showing visitors how they can support local people and experience our real, authentic culture while preserving the environment for future generations.”
For more information on how to plan your sustainable visit here.
