Sustainable Tourism Policy
We are a business committed to a sustainable future. We have been working hard across the business for 19 years to reduce our impact on the planet. To ensure that our customers understand our sustainability commitment, we have been assessed by Green Tourism to validate our practice. This independent assessment brings reassurance that our practice is evidenced and authenticated. We are proud to have been awarded a Gold award in our November 2022 assessment.
Sustainable Tourism Policy
The Majestic Line loves the west coast of Scotland, its seas and its coast and we always protect what we love.
All our staff and crew are committed to environmental sustainability. We provide appropriate training and development and encourage everyone to apply sound sustainability practices at work, at home and within the wider community. Our Business Development Officer, Marie McGhee, has also taken on the role of our ‘Sustainable Tourism Advocate’. Marie will constantly monitor our policies on sustainable tourism and investigate further ways that we can minimise our impact on the environment.
All of our crew are WiSe Scheme trained to use the Marine Wildlife Watching Code and Best Practice Guidelines.
Being a corporate member of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust means all our crew are committed to safeguarding our seas and cetaceans.
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
The Majestic Line will endeavour to reduce, reuse and recycle materials where practical.
Reduce plastic usage by using refillable water bottles and not using plastic cutlery/plates/ straws
Reduce our use of paper within the office/marketing environment
We are committed to reduction of waste and responsible management of waste
Reduce energy usage by introducing LED lights throughout boats which also limits light pollution
Purchase seasonal and locally produced food
Reuse uniforms and bedding and those not reused are donated to charity
Use reusable crates for deliveries to minimise packaging
Recycle as much waste as possible
Refill soap dispensers with eco-friendly soap and recycle all responsibly sourced bottles whilst supporting a local business
Our Operational Activities
The Majestic Line aims to prevent pollution in compliance with all environmental legislation, regulations and codes of practice relevant to the tourism sector in which we operate.
We work with suppliers to ensure they recognise and reduce the environmental impact of their products and transportation.
We will keep transport use to a minimum and regularly service our boats and vehicles to maintain their efficiency.
Understanding that water is a valuable natural resource, all four boats produce their own water by desalination from sea water. We use micron filters to clean and produce drinking water. No chlorination needed.
All four boats have dual flush in toilets and low flowing sink/basin taps and showers which help with conserving water.
All of our vessels, where possible, plug into shore power to reduce use of onboard generators and they all use battery power overnight to reduce emissions.
The Majestic Line (Scotland) Ltd will review this policy on an annual basis, taking account of any changes within legislation and our organisation, and other factors.
The Environment
We strive to comply with the protection of wildlife and flora and we are committed to having a minimal impact when anchoring and coming ashore in environmentally sensitive locations. We aim to preserve and enhance the biodiversity, natural heritage and long-term sustainability of our cruising areas.
All four boats have the Whale Track App on their phones and will log any wildlifespotted.
We promote historic and cultural places on our cruises and our shore trips helping to support the local communities we visit.
We liaise directly with local communities when landing to help manage tourism flows and we also take guests to remote locations, only using our tender boats to go ashore creating less traffic on land.
We have developed new itineraries to remote islands including newly introduced Orkney benefitting local remote communities.
Supporting Local
Sourcing produce from local communities is at the heart of The Majestic Line’s purchasing policy. We aim to minimise our carbon footprint and source produce and products from suppliers who share and demonstrate our environmental ambitions.
We will buy eco-friendly cleaning products for our boats and office environment.
All of our meat is bought from local companies in Oban and all four boats buy from one supplier who delivers in one order to minimise travel miles and reduce our carbon footprint further. This supplier operates sustainably.
We take great delight in providing our guests the opportunity to enjoy local ales, ciders, gins and whiskeys and hence hopefully purchase their favourite at a later date.
We are committed to sourcing local food and drink producers across all four boats thus developing strong relationships with local suppliers. We also promote these suppliers in our menus often visiting their place of business with our guests.
We ensure our fish and seafood comes from sustainably managed stock or direct from the fishing boats.
For further information please visit Green Tourism website.
