Bovey Castle achieves prestigious Green Tourism Gold certification

Bovey Castle, a luxury hotel nestled in the heart of Dartmoor, has been awarded the prestigious Green Tourism Gold Certification, recognising its commitment to sustainability as it works towards achieving net zero by 2040.

This top-tier accreditation follows a series of successful green initiatives, placing Bovey Castle among the leaders in environmentally responsible hospitality. Green Tourism, an organisation that has assessed sustainability practices in travel, tourism, and hospitality for over 27 years, granted Bovey Castle its highest gold grading for a comprehensive approach to sustainability. This achievement shows the hotel’s dedication to community engagement, employee wellbeing, guest experience, energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and waste management.

A key driver in securing this accolade was the introduction of “green champions”, a dedicated team ensuring sustainable practices are integrated throughout the hotel. Among its standout initiatives, Bovey Castle has developed a 1,400-square-metre kitchen garden, established a new wildflower meadow, and introduced engaging guest experiences such as beekeeping and interactions with farm animals.

Bovey Castle is part of the Eden Hotel Collection, a group of five luxury hotels across the Midlands and South West. Sustainability efforts extend throughout the collection, with all properties now running on 100% renewable energy. Over the past year, the group has successfully recycled 35.5% of waste, converted 55% into renewable energy, and anaerobically digested 9.5%.

Dean Gunston, General Manager at Bovey Castle, said: “Sustainability is increasingly a key factor for customers when choosing a hotel, so we’re thrilled to receive a gold grading from sustainability experts. Our investment in a new kitchen garden and the introduction of tours educating guests on ‘fork-to-fork’ eating has been well received, and we anticipate growing interest, particularly from families.”

He credited the success to the dedication of the hotel’s team: “Our people’s commitment to sustainability has been essential in making projects like the kitchen garden a success. This gold grading is a testament to their hard work and enthusiasm.”

Jayne O’Malley, Group Operations Director at Eden Hotel Collection, commented: “Sustainability is about much more than adopting environmentally friendly practices. It’s about building a truly sustainable business, from supporting our people and local communities to growing our organisation and ensuring ethical supply chains.

“Some of our properties date back as far as the 16th century, yet through our investment in sustainability, we are ensuring they remain at the forefront of modern green hospitality. From renewable energy use to sourcing from local suppliers and utilising on-site kitchen gardens, we are committed to a long-term vision for sustainable luxury.”

Bovey Castle’s achievement follows Eden Hotel Collection’s recent recognition by the AA as Small Hotel Group of the Year.

For more information about Bovey Castle, visit www.boveycastle.com