It's the small independent holiday lettings business with an exciting new vision for local tourism. 

New Forest Escapes has just been named Sustainable Business of the Year and New Forest Business of the Year at the New Forest Brilliance in Business Awards 2024.

It's much-valued recognition for an independent holiday lettings company that was an industry game-changer at both local and national level when it was founded by ecopreneur Rachel Parsons in 2013. Her ambition was to make staycation holidays more appealing than overseas holidays, helping to reduce negative travel impacts, such as carbon emissions, while increasing positive ones, putting money back into the local economy and developing people’s love for nature and wildlife.

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New Forest Escapes owner Jane Wilkinson told the Daily Echo: "We are a little, yet dynamic, company that is growing in the right way!

"These awards are an indicator of the value and service we provide to our customers, owner hosts and our local community, as well as our most important stakeholder – the New Forest. They recognise that sustainability is not only good for people and good for the environment, but good for business."

(Image: New Forest Escapes) From the beginning New Forest Escapes has put community, environment and sustainability at the forefront of the business. It has adopted an ethos that encourages and supports owner hosts and guests to join the team on a more sustainable journey, from greener cleaning initiatives to reducing waste, and increasing biodiversity in gardens to championing local suppliers.

The collection of homes has expanded over the past decade, encompassing luxurious and eclectic retreats both in the Forest and on the coast. The focus has always been on delivering unforgettable experiences for guests.

(Image: New Forest Escapes) New Forest Escapes has also built a collection of ‘Escape Artists’, a dedicated customer service team delivering a personalised service. 

The company achieved a significant milestone in 2022 when it achieved B Corp certification showing that New Forest Escapes strives to operate the business as a force for good, actively seeking, at all levels of the business, a positive, social and cultural impact for those who are at the core of the business, including the team, hosts, guests and local communities.

(Image: New Forest Escapes)