Despite both Keynote Speakers putting the Environment front and centre during the IHI Hospitality & Tourism Professionals Day on November 26th and on the back of the EPA’s State of the Environment Report that called for urgent environmental and climate action the existing environmental and responsible tourism service providers were casually dismissed.

The Green Hospitality Programme was surprised at this approach, especially as we are in the middle of a Climate Crisis which in the short term is also adding to the cost burden of tourism and hospitality businesses.

GHP believes that rather than dismissing the experience, skills, knowledge and services, including certification/recognition, that exists within the current service providers, that instead they should be engaged with as part of a coordinated approach to move the whole sector to adopt environmental sustainability as a core business approach.

GHP calls on the tourism agencies and organisations to ensure that the environment and climate change form an integral part of the recovery phase of the tourism sector and to also ensure that the tourism sector delivers on the commitments made by the Irish Government to reduce our national carbon emissions.

For a deeper review and our suggested integrated approach click on our Opinion Piece – A Wake-Up Call from an Environmental Sustainability Service Provider.