At its annual industry briefing on Wednesday, Fáilte Ireland unveiled its ambitious plans to drive sustainable tourism development across Ireland and support the decarbonisation of tourism businesses.
The national tourism development authority unveiled its 2024 plans at a special virtual event for the tourism industry, opened by Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and watched by over 1,500 tourism operators, providers and employers from across the sector.
Climate Action Programme
Central to the plans is the new Climate Action Programme, developed in consultation with tourism businesses, which includes the appointment of a dedicated advisor to businesses to help navigate every step of their climate action journey.
To accelerate the decarbonisation of the tourism sector, in line with national carbon emissions reduction targets, Minister Martin announced that Fáilte Ireland has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
This partnership will allow tourism businesses to easily access the financial supports available to reduce carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency, and adopt renewable technologies.
‘New Partnership’
“The new partnership between Fáilte Ireland and [the] SEAI will provide a framework for decarbonising tourism businesses, and I am continuing to progress the development of a new national tourism policy framework that will seek to mainstream sustainability,” said Martin.
“Tourism is a key economic driver in cities, towns and villages across Ireland, and I look forward to supporting Fáilte Ireland over the coming year, as it implements its work plans to support sustainable tourism development nationwide.”
Wild Atlantic Way
The national tourism development authority will also celebrate the tenth anniversary of its first regional tourism brand, the Wild Atlantic Way, in 2024.
Every county in the Republic of Ireland is now covered by a Fáilte Ireland regional tourism brand – the Wild Atlantic Way, Dublin, Ireland’s Ancient East and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands – providing a blueprint for Fáilte Ireland’s ongoing destination development.
Upgraded Tourism Projects
To continue to motivate visitors to take a domestic break in Ireland and encourage overseas visitors to choose Ireland as a destination, Fáilte Ireland updated the industry on its future potential pipeline of up to 150 new or upgraded tourism projects that may be developed across its four regional brands.
Eight of these new visitor attractions and experiences are due to open in 2024, including Queen Maeve Square, in Co. Sligo, a new water sports facility in Curracloe, Co. Wexford, Dublin Castle Record Tower, in Dublin’s city centre, and Connaught Harbour, in Portumna, Co. Galway.
‘Key Focus’
“We are acutely aware of the impact that costs, competitiveness, and capacity constraints continue to have on the tourism sector, and Fáilte Ireland remains committed to supporting tourism businesses to manage these challenges, while also focusing on the biggest long-term challenge for us all: climate change,” said Paul Kelly, CEO.
“We can see very clear and significant opportunities to decarbonise tourism businesses across Ireland, and this will be a key focus for us in the year ahead.”
