The site, which is one of the best examples of a Neolithic passage grave in Europe, was given the highest ‘gold level’ award by Green Tourism – the largest and most established sustainable certification programme in the world.
The organisation offers three levels of certification, gold, silver or bronze, and judges venues based on their accessibility by public transport, efforts to minimise waste, operational efficiency and overall respect for the environment.
La Mare Wine Estate in St Mary is the only other attraction in Jersey to have received a gold-level certificate.
Meanwhile, England boasts just 54 visitor sites that have received the highest level of accreditation by Green Tourism.
Each year a number of gold award winners are shortlisted for higher ‘GoldStar’ certificates, which are given to those institutions that have done the most to promote sustainability within their industry.
Jersey Heritage is due to find out next year whether La Hougue Bie will make it to that shortlist.
Peter Roberts, the site gardien at La Hougue Bie, said: ‘We are obviously delighted to achieve the highest level possible under the Green Tourism evaluation scheme.
‘We have worked very hard to make La Hougue Bie not only a special place to visit, but also to respect the environment in which it sits.
‘Only a small number of visitor attractions achieve a gold level each year, so this is a very high accolade indeed.’
