Government representatives from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have announced a joint commitment to supporting sustainable tourism on the island of Ireland.
At a North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Tourism Sectoral meeting, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin T.D., and Minister for the Economy Conor Murphy MLA reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable tourism.
Both ministers acknowledged the widely accepted need for tourism to be environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable on the island of Ireland.
Policy in both jurisdictions is evolving to reflect this reality, with the governments pledging to support a vibrant and competitive tourism sector that significantly contributes across the island, promotes a positive image of Ireland overseas, and enables local communities to prosper while being environmentally sustainable.
Joint approach
“The importance of tourism, on both sides of the border, and the joint approach taken to the promotion and development of the sector, led to tourism being one of the areas chosen for formal North-South cooperation,” Minister Martin commented. “That co-operation has been hugely beneficial, with the tourism sector now an exemplar of what can be achieved when we work together on this island, with a shared purpose.
“I want to see a vibrant tourism sector that drives improved visitor satisfaction levels with a greater regional spread across the island, is environmentally sustainable, helps promote a positive image of the island of Ireland overseas, and makes a positive impact on local communities.”
A ‘vital contributor’
Elsewhere, Minister Murphy added that tourism is a “vital contributor” to the all-island economy of Ireland.
“We must embrace the opportunity the sector presents as we grow our economy, in a sustainable way. I see this as critically important and done right, the transition to a greener and more sustainable economy can be a just transition that also generates prosperity for all.”
“We are committed to ongoing collaboration between our tourism agencies, industry and stakeholders as we drive sustainable growth for our tourism sector.” Read more here.
