Visit Kent has held a joint reception at The House of Commons with The Port of Dover and LeShuttle to celebrate Kent’s tourism industry and launch a new sustainability plan.

The new sustainability plan for the visitor economy in Kent has been developed over a number of months by The Act for Impact Group which includes sustainability leaders from the county’s tourism industry, public sector, and nature conservation organisations.

These leaders are involved with some of Kent’s flagship sustainability initiatives including the plan to secure UNESCO Global Geopark status for the Kent Downs AONB.

The plan has three key priorities:

To reduce the impact of food on nature and our climate by actively encouraging local, seasonal, organic and plant-based options on menus and increasing demand by celebrating Kentish produce;

To encourage visitors to use low carbon and active travel options when travelling to and around the county by making it easier for visitors to find information about these modes of transport;

To develop a new innovative nature payback pilot scheme – ‘Back to Nature’ – which will encourage visitors to ‘pay it back’ to Kent’s nature and wildlife by supporting regenerative projects that increase biodiversity.