Top award for Bognor university academic

Dr Andrew Clegg, the institution's leader of tourism management, has been recognised for his work in partnership with Tourism South East.

Along with local businesswoman Sandra Barnes-Keywood, Andrew, who lives in Bognor Regis, was named as winner of the National Training Award '“ South East Prize for Providing Education and Training 2009.

He received it for delivering training relating to green tourism for small businesses.

As part of his work at the university, Dr Clegg works as a consultant and trainer for Tourism South East.

He is the national master trainer for Regional Tourist Board Partnership's Green Advantage programme, a one-day course looking at sustainable business management.

Dr Clegg's award recognises his work in developing training designed to help businesses recognise the value of being green, and seeking accreditation in the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS).

The GTBS is a national programme that awards gold, silver or bronze stars to tourism sector companies based on their environmental practices.

The National Training Awards recognise excellence in training and for this award Andrew had to demonstrate the drivers for the training, the nature of the training developed, and how training had impacted on business performance.

Andrew also provides training in partnership with the Green Training Company, run by Sandra Barnes-Keywood, an award-winning green business champion who also runs the Old Chapel Forge bed and breakfast in Lagness.

Dr Clegg has worked with Sandra to develop a suite of training programmes that support business adoption of green business practices, and in doing so help demonstrate the business case for green tourism not only through savings in cost-efficiency, but also how being green can contribute to the overall quality of the visitor experience.

He said: "In the current climate green tourism makes good business sense as it encourages businesses to look critically at how to save money.

"However, green tourism is not just about energy-efficient lightbulbs and the aim of the training courses I have developed is to help businesses recognise the wider social and environmental remit of sustainable tourism.

"Most importantly it is about getting businesses to recognise green tourism can have a significant impact on the overall quality of the visitor experience."

Dr Clegg is keen to acknowledge Sandra's help: "Sandra has helped me to make the training real and without her input I would have not won this award.

"Tourism South East take an instrumental role in supporting sustainable tourism across the region and I am grateful for the opportunity to deliver this training for them and for the tremendous support they have provided."

Later this month Dr Clegg will be visiting Malta with Tourism South East to help Malta Tourism develop its own green training programme.

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