Moving towards sustainable tourism Paddy Mathews Environment and Planning Unit

Environment Unit Established 2006 Published EAP Key Objectives -Promote good environmental practice -Protect the tourism asset

Sustainable tourism Happy tourists + Happy locals + A clean, high quality environment + Profitable tourism businesses = Sustainable tourism

Four environmental challenges for sustainable tourism 1.Reduce environmental impacts of tourism 2.Protect the key environmental assets 3.Adapt to external environmental changes 4.Innovate through the adoption of environmental strategies in business practice

Four environmental challenges of sustainable tourism 1.Reduce environmental impacts of tourism –to reduce the cost of doing business 2.Protect the key environmental assets 3.Adapt to external environmental changes 4.Innovate through the adoption of environmental strategies in business practice

Four environmental challenges of sustainable tourism 1.Reduce environmental impacts of tourism –to reduce the cost of doing business 2.Protect the key environmental assets –they are the raw material of the industry 3.Adapt to external environmental changes 4.Innovate through the adoption of environmental strategies in business practice

Water Landscape Biodiversity Built heritage

Four environmental challenges of sustainable tourism 1.Reduce environmental impacts of tourism –to reduce the cost of doing business 2.Protect the key environmental assets –they are the raw material of the industry 3.Adapt to external environmental changes –to ensure an easier adjustment to climate change 4.Innovate through the adoption of environmental strategies in business practice

Four environmental challenges of sustainable tourism 1.Reduce environmental impacts of tourism –to reduce the costs of doing business 2.Protect the key environmental assets –they are the raw material of the industry 3.Adapt to external environmental changes –to ensure an easier adjustment to climate change 4.Innovate through the adoption of environmental strategies in business practice –embrace new opportunities, e.g. ecotourism

Opportunities for ecotourism Ecotourism – The Greenbox: Ireland’s first ecotourism destination Need to guard against ‘greenwashing’ Ecotourism accreditation

Sustainable Tourism Indicators Failte Ireland Environmental Protection Agency Dublin Institute of Technology – Dr. Kevin Griffin 3-year project to test the DIT ACHIEV model of sustainable tourism indicators €300,000 investment in indicators Killarney, Co. Kerry & Carlingford, Co. Louth

Clonakilty Energy Audit Clonakilty – Failte Ireland funded energy audit First energy audit of a tourist destination in Ireland Mark Holland and Peter Madden, Sustainable Clonakilty

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