Tourism can bring great benefits to an area, such as employment, a greater diversity of local services and support for the protection of the natural environment, but all too often economic decisions, that do not take the environment nor the local communities into account, prevail. Examples are numerous; congestion during the peak season in touristy towns in Ireland; coral that is blasted away at Tropical coasts so that hotels can be build right at the beach and offer sandy beaches to customers; the vegetation of the Alps that is severely damaged by intensive winter sports usage and does not have enough time to recuperate during summer. The realisation that tourism does not only bring benefits but has many negative effects as well, has set in on a global level and the need for sustainable tourism is widely acknowledged. The Australian government has even set up a national ecotourism strategy!

The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) defines sustainable tourism as: Sustainable tourism development that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economical, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.

Currently this definition is being revised to better reflect the sustainability issues in tourism. However the core elements are still the three P’s: people, planet and profit. The balance between these elements ensures sustainability.

Many international organisations such as WTO and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), and the European commission have set up special divisions to promote the sustainable development of tourism. These and other organisations are involved in the development of sustainable tourism certification systems for accommodation, such as the EU-flower, and encourage tour operators to become more sustainable, through the Tour Operator Initiative. UNEP even promoted the International Year of Ecotourism in 2002. They stimulate the stakeholders in the tourism sector to become more sustainable since it is in their benefit too to protect the natural & cultural resources and specific culture of a region. Especially since these are key elements for tourists to come and visit a destination. When these resources deteriorate, the area does not appeal to tourists anymore and tourist numbers will decline. A significant decline in tourist numbers has several impacts on the area, especially when traditional sources of income have been replaced solely by retrieving income from tourism activities.

Sustainable tourism policies in Ireland
The core tourism appeal of Ireland is characterised by people, place and pace, according to the Tourism Policy Review Group (TPRG) which is established by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. Visitors to Ireland are mainly motivated by:
• the expectation of a warm and welcoming people with the opportunity to interact with the people and the culture in all of its diverse forms.
• the perception of beautiful unspoilt scenery and opportunities for sightseeing
• the comfort of a relaxed pace of life delivering both physical and emotional benefits to the visitor. This indicates that the protection of the natural environment and sustainable development of tourism are of critical importance since the scenery is one of the key factors that attracts tourists to Ireland.

The Irish government also realises this and has set up policies to stimulate the sustainable development of tourism. Ireland is represented in the MUSTT network, the MUlti-Stakeholder European targeted action for Sustainable Tourism and Transport. On a national level the Tourism Development Strategy 2000–2006 and the new strategy for 2003-2012, produced by the Tourism Policy Review Group both recognise the importance of sustainable development of the tourism sector. The current NDP for 2000–2006 allocates 139.6 million euro of public funding of which a part will be used to support environmental initiatives to tackle problems that threaten the sustainability of tourism in the Southern and Eastern (S&E) and BMW* regions. In 1998 an initiative on tourism and the environment was launched in Ireland. Under this pilot scheme, over €3.3 million in grant-aid was allocated to 22 projects. These projects contributed to the knowledge and understanding of best practice in managing tourism and environmental issues. Examples included visitor and traffic management, area-based planning and analysis of carrying capacity, training and awareness, litter control, development of alternative touring routes and best practice in environmental restoration. According to EPA however, the take-up under the environmental heading of the current tourism product development measure has been poor. Now is the time to put policies into action.

Irish initiatives
The International Year of Ecotourism in 2002 stimulated stakeholders in the tourism industry to undertake several new sustainable tourism initiatives worldwide. In Ireland it resulted in the development of the Green Box, an initiative in the Northwest of Ireland that is currently developing a certification programme of responsible ecotourism.

Another initiative that is currently being developed is the Kerry Geopark. This is a land area in South Kerry that wants to develop sustainable Geotourism in the area for the benefit of all residents. Activities will not only focus on geology but also on archaeology, culture, ecotourism, history, outdoor activities, sustainable energy projects and walks. Geology is the subject that will link all the others to draw the tourists to the area and adds a new concept to tourism.

Kerry Initiative on Tourism and the Environment (KITE) is another sustainable tourism project. It is an initiative of Kerry County Council, Cork-Kerry Tourism and Shannon Development. They have prepared an ambitious sustainable tourism strategy for Kerry over the period of 2000-2006. In it, strategies were established for the environment, tourism and transportation. Over the last 5 years a number of strategies have been implemented.

The West Cork region promotes quality food and tourism products since 1996, through the Fuchsia brand. This brand reflects positive local characteristics, such as environmental quality, as well as the richness and diversity of the heritage, culture and landscape. It is community based and has now over 70 members that must comply with strict quality criteria that ensure excellence in all aspects of product and service quality.

Fáilte Ireland currently pursues sustainable tourism development, with support of the tourism industry and is currently setting up an environmental unit to address sustainability issues in the tourism sector.

*BMW: Border Midlands & West Region