This article is from page 13 of the 2011-03-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
AT LEAST one major German tour operator has already signed up to bring a group of eco-tourists to north Clare following the launch of the Burren Eco-tourism Network last week.
The network, which was officially launched by celebrity chef Darina Allen last Thursday, aims to get the tourist community in north Clare working together to offer a more sustainable tourist product to visitors.
The Burren region is now just the second location in Ireland to be granted eco-tourism status by Ecotourism Ireland. Eco-tourism works by offering tourists a more personal and sustainable experience of a location, encouraging smaller scale tours to take more time in an area and in this way gives more benefit to the local economy while reducing any damage to the local environment.
“I’ve already had an enquiry from one major tourist operator in Germany who was looking to organise an eight-day tour around Ireland and to stay in four or five locations. After explaining the concept of eco-tourism and what we had to offer this operator was happy to spend that eightday tour around just two eco-tourism sites in Ireland,” said Edel Hayes of the Burren Connect Project.
“That means that people stay in the area for longer, they have a better experience and the contribute more to the local economy and the local tourist sector while they are here.”
At least one other location in Clare is currently working towards ecotourism status and hopes are high that the county could become the eco-tourism capital of Ireland.
“The people in the network have benefited greatly from getting to know each other and exchanging ideas about how each of them runs their operation but they have also benefited from the knowledge that they have learned from the process of gaining their eco-tourism certificates,” continued Edel.
“We already know of another network who are currently coming together in Clare and are hoping to follow in out footsteps and be accredited by Eco-tourism Ireland. So we are hoping that other networks can come together in Clare and indeed across Ireland and work together.”
More than 20 north Clare businesses have been awarded certificates from Eco-tourism Ireland. The Burren Eco-tourism Network has received support from Clare County Council, Clare Local Development Company, Shannon Development and Fáilte Ireland over the past two years.