We recently attended the ‘Inspiring Sustainable Tourism Conference; at the Armada Hotel in Co Clare which brought together industry leaders, experts and professionals to discuss best practices in an area renowned for its leadership in sustainability!
It was a truly inspiring event, which kicked off with Keynote speaker Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School who shared insights from her pioneering work in sustainable food systems in Ballymaloe. Darina’s work goes far beyond her iconic cookery school. She educates and empowers individuals and communities to embrace sustainable food systems, protect biodiversity and reconnect with nature. Her message ‘No More Greenwashing: Ireland Leading the Way in Sustainable Tourism set a powerful tone for the rest of the day’s discussions.
A panel discussion featuring Fiona McKenna (Clare Tourism Development), Barry Rogers (Dublin City Council), and James Chilton (KPMG) highlighted the importance of working within frameworks like Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and collaborating with international partners to learn as much as possible form the,m. All agreed that developing grassroot tourism initiatives in local areas, helps create vibrant community-driven projects such as Dublin’s Henry Street museum which in turn appeals to national and international tourists.
Business leaders John Burke (Armada Hotel) and Eoin McCluskey (Bread 41) shared their sustainability journeys, from waste reduction to renewable energy adoption and employee well-being initiatives.
Farmer Bronagh O’Rourke (Burren Farm Experience) Brendan Dunford (Burren Beo), and Ray Ó Foghlú (Home Tree) discussed their efforts to connect people with nature through immersive experiences like farm tours and tree planting. Brendan highlighted the need to bridge the gap between tourism and farming to create “living landscapes” and “learning experiences.”
We are already looking forward to next year’s event which will be held at Killeavy Castle Estate in Newry.