Communicating your sustainability commitments to your visitor
Communicating your sustainability commitments to the media
Highlight pre-visit information
Share destination information
Influence in-destination visitor behaviour
Create visitor give back opportunities
Tips for telling your destination story
Rewards and customer loyalty programmes
Promote certifications and standards Share
and good news
Fáilte Ireland's Climate Action Roadmap - Our Terms and Conditions of Use
Disclaimer - Please note: this content is provided for information purposes only and Fáilte Ireland makes no representation or warranty, express or implied as to its accuracy, completeness, or suitability, or in relation to third party intellectual property rights in or to any part of the content.
Introduction
Ireland has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Driving Climate Action is a Strategic Priority for Fáilte Ireland, and we aim to help tourism businesses play their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Our Climate Action Roadmap provides guidance on reducing emissions through managing energy, reducing waste, conserving water, supporting biodiversity, and introducing carbon offsetting. These actions reduce costs, engage customers, and boost team morale.
Implementing measurable Climate Action initiatives can enhance your business reputation and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. As sustainability regulations and consumer expectations evolve, businesses that actively reduce their environmental impact may strengthen their long-term market position.
Marketing activity should be a feature of each stage of your Climate Action journey, helping your commitment to reducing emissions, impacting positively on your brand value.
This guide is part of a series that has been created to support tourism and hospitality businesses on their climate action journey.
Let's get started!
BAY, CO. MAYO
Start telling your story
This guide provides practical advice and tips to help you tell your Climate Action story in an impactful way.
Jargon Buster
CLIMATE ACTION
The term ‘Climate Action’ relates specifically to actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In the area of marketing and communications, however, ‘Sustainability’ is a term often used by consumers and the industry when talking about climate action (and other related areas).
While recognising that ‘sustainability’ refers to more than just Climate Action, the term is commonly used throughout this guide when discussing climate-related communications, reflecting the everyday discourse of consumers.
CABU BY THE LAKES, CO. CAVAN
KEY INSIGHT A Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2022 found that 71% of travellers expressed a desire to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months (up 10% from 2021).
HOW IS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR CHANGING?
Research conducted by Deloitte explores how consumers are adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. The survey revealed that nearly 1 in 3 consumers claimed to have stopped purchasing brands or products because they had ethical or sustainability related concerns about them.
From March 2020 to March 2021, 49% of consumers surveyed claimed to have bought more seasonal products and 45% bought more locally produced goods.
Efforts to reduce their usage of single-use plastics remains the most common ways consumers are becoming more sustainable, with 61% of those surveyed confirming they tried to do so.
The research reveals some of the main barriers to consumers behaving more sustainably, with 16% saying that it’s too expensive and 15% feeling that they don’t have enough information. This highlights the importance of incorporating the value of Climate Action through your marketing and communications.
QUAY ARTS, BALLINA, CO. TIPPERARY
Internal marketing and communications
Marketing is an important aspect of your Climate Action journey and there are plenty of ways to communicate your strategy as it evolves over time. Here are a few things to keep in mind from internal to external communications.
The collective mindset and behaviours of an organisation define its culture. Embedding Climate Action into your company ethos goes beyond encouraging employees to print less or recycle more.
Nurture a long-term vision that equips employees with the knowledge and confidence to play an active role in your climate action journey.
8 TIPS FOR INTERNAL MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
To integrate Climate Action into your internal communications, here are some key actions to consider.
1 Review and update your vision, mission, and core values so your commitment to Climate Action has a significant role to play in the overarching purpose of the business.
2 Define your Climate Action policy, outlining your commitments and assigning measurable goals to evaluate performance. Communicate the policy in your onboarding packs, brand immersions and employee review sessions to encourage buy-in.
3 Hold management accountable for driving results within their teams and departments.
4 Educate employees by sharing practical insights on how everyday choices in the workplace can support your climate action efforts.
5 Incentivise your team to contribute through internal and external initiatives such as local clean-ups and volunteering.
6 Empower your team to share their ideas on how the business can reduce its carbon footprint.
7 Reward employees by incorporating climate-related actions into annual goals, and recognising progress through performance reviews or incentives where appropriate.
8 Communicate success by sharing regular updates on the collective impact employee efforts are making to reduce carbon emissions.
HOW TO WRITE A CLIMATE ACTION POLICY
A Climate Action policy is a formal document outlining a company’s commitment to Climate Action. It outlines your environmental commitments and provides a framework for identifying and managing your key impacts, supported by measurable goals.
It can vary in length, detail and format depending on the desired audience. A visually appealing infographic or one-page pdf would suffice for visitors and customers, whereas a new development seeking investment may need an extensive
document to support the quest for external funding.
In addition, HR leaders may wish to create an informative handbook for employees as part of onboarding packs and branding in locker rooms or canteens.
9 POINTERS FOR YOUR CLIMATE ACTION POLICY
identify your audience
evaluate the level of detail required
choose an appealing format
integrate with your overall brand messaging and storytelling style
Top Tip
Key to communicating your commitment to Climate Action, is to have a formal written policy in place, that outlines your goals, initiatives and ongoing performance. Call it something appropriate for your business e.g. Our Climate Commitment, Our Communications Promises, Our Making the Difference Statement. This is an opportunity to get creative!
describe your journey and learnings
focus on impact, not input
back all claims up with evidence
highlight actions that exceed standard practice
make it personal and conversational
EATING OUT AT BROTHER HUBBARD, DUBLIN CITY
External marketing and communications
Here are some top tips to keep in mind for external marketing and communications.
5 TIPS FOR EXTERNAL MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
1 Make it visible: share verified credentials prominently across your marketing channels, and link to more information about how they were earned.
2 Reinforce your claims: include an explanation around each green credential you have earned along with the commitments you have made to receive them.
3 Humanise with imagery and video: use dynamic, high resolution visuals featuring behind the scenes content of the team working towards their sustainability commitments.
4 Generate good PR: share your verified progress through local or national media, taking care to focus on specific, substantiated actions. Nominate a Climate Action Spokesperson for interviews, who can highlight milestones that are transparent, measurable, and relevant to your audience.
5 Encourage visitors to support your sustainability initiatives: maintaining credible climate action standards takes continuous effort. Invite visitors to get involved and help you to keep moving forward. Where possible, share how their contributions make a measurable difference.
GUINNESS STOREHOUSE, DUBLIN
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: SUPPORTING BETTER CHOICES FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET
A member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Camile prides itself on sustainability, from store design to waste management and the food that’s served. The team develop goals to positively impact the food system including two key initiatives:
Plant Forward Menu – a vegan menu designed to measurably lower the carbon impact of the food served.
Compostable Packaging – Camile Thai has introduced packaging adorned with artistic designs that is certified 100% compostable. To assist customers in proper disposal, Camile provides a clear guide on compostable packaging, available at www.camile.ie/sustainability
MAKE IT EASY FOR VISITORS
Research suggests that a growing number of visitors are actively considering climate impact when choosing providers, making it important to communicate your actions clearly and transparently.
Key Insight
The American Express Global Travel Trends Report 2021, asked travellers what’s on their minds as they plan for or dream about their next trip. 68% of consumers agreed they were trying to be more aware of sustainability-friendly travel brands to support.
Communicating your sustainability commitments to your visitor
Sustainability is not something to announce once and then move on. It needs to be a thread that runs through the entire visitor experience. The goal is not to persuade or instruct, but to create an atmosphere where sustainability feels like a natural, intuitive part of their visit. When visitors encounter sustainability in ways that are positive, engaging, and seamlessly integrated, they are more likely to notice, appreciate, and participate.
1. WEAVE SUSTAINABILITY INTO EVERY STAGE OF THE VISITOR JOURNEY
Bring sustainability to life by embedding it into the full visitor experience. Rather than a single statement, make it an ongoing story visitors can engage with at multiple touchpoints.
Before they arrive, introduce sustainability commitments through your website, booking confirmations, and social media.
At check-in or arrival, use welcome messages, friendly signage, and front-of-house interactions to set the tone.
During their stay or experience, offer simple, opt-in opportunities, such as refill stations, waste-reduction initiatives, and locally sourced food options, that make it easy to participate.
Post-visit, share the impact of their visit through thank-you emails, social media updates, or invitations to stay connected.
THE ADDRESS CONNOLLY HOTEL, RECEPTION, DUBLIN CITY
2. ENCOURAGE THROUGH INVITATION
Instead of telling visitors what to do or making them feel guilty about their indulgences, offer choices that make sustainability effortless and rewarding. Visitors are more likely to engage when they feel empowered rather than pressured.
Use approachable, positive language:
“Enjoy a free coffee refill when you bring a reusable cup.”
“Every refillable bottle used helps reduce single-use plastic waste in our place.”
Highlight the small, collective impact of visitor choices to create a sense of shared achievement.
Frame sustainability as an enhancement of their experience, not a restriction.
KEY INSIGHT
An invitation is always more powerful than an instruction. Visitors respond best when sustainability is part of the experience, not an obligation.
3.
MAKE IT CONSISTENT, NATURAL, AND VISIBLE
For sustainability messaging to resonate, it needs to feel authentic and appear consistently across multiple touchpoints. A welltrained team, aligned messaging, and subtle reinforcement will keep
sustainability top of mind without making it overwhelming.
Train your team to share your sustainability story naturally in conversations with visitors.
Reinforce messages visually, through signage, menus, digital
content, or even the materials you use.
Ensure visitors encounter sustainability initiatives multiple times throughout their stay, so it becomes an organic part of their visit.
ARAN OFF ROAD EXPERIENCE, GUIDED TOUR, INIS MÓR, ARAN ISLAND, CO. GALWAY
Communicating your sustainability commitments to the media
When showcasing your verifiable environmental practices to the media, be clear on what kind of audience is being targeted and the medium via which this audience is reached. This may include:
Print media: e.g., newspapers and travel magazines
Broadcast media: e.g., television and radio
Online media: e.g., online newspapers
For each media opportunity, speak to the expectations of the target audience. For example, via an interview with an Irish radio station, this audience will differ depending on the show:
A light chat show Key reach: private person e.g. a person listening in from home or on their way to work
A business-focused show Key reach: corporate person
It is recommended that you prepare a document based on the following headings:
What do we do to safeguard the environment?
What do we do to champion and support our local community?
What do we do to support local livelihoods and the economy?
Include your website address and 5-6 quality images that illustrate your specific environmental initiatives and achievements. Once you have completed this document, you will be equipped with the key messaging and points that are most relevant for promoting your stance on the
environment and your verifiable environmental practices via media opportunities or to send as a PDF to journalists.
For more examples and further information on how to highlight your verifiable environmental initiatives to the media, see here.
Key Insight
According to booking.com’s 2025 Travel & Sustainability Report, 84% of travellers consider sustainable travel important while 93% of global travellers say they want to make more sustainable travel choices and to some extent have done so (compared to just 42% in 2016)
Highlight pre-visit information
Highlight pre-visit information
It’s essential to communicate your Climate Action efforts from the beginning of the customer journey when they first interact with your business. It might even be the encouragement they need to go ahead and book.
As research shows, there’s lots of ways you can do this from a pre-visit email to ways of sharing relevant information on your website.
TIPS FOR YOUR WEBSITE
Create a standalone landing page on your website, dedicated to communicating your Climate Action policy. Keep it current by updating the page regularly with your latest initiatives and progress.
Clearly display your verifiable environmental certifications
and awards to highlight your commitment to the environment. Explain what each one represents.
Look beyond your own product to the greater destination and include details of any community initiatives underway.
List any hands-on experiences or opportunities for customers and visitors to volunteer.
Write a regular blog on Climate Action as part of your content strategy.
In the case of cafés, restaurants, and bars – share details of the local producers you work with, including their names, locations, and the products they supply, to substantiate your 'locally sourced' promise.
Key Insight
According to Booking.com's 2024 Sustainable Travel Report, 45% of travellers find accommodations with third-party sustainability certifications more appealing. This points towards an opportunity for accommodation providers to display any recognised certifications throughout the booking process, ensuring relevant information is accessible to potential guests from the outset.
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE AT HILTON
By 2030, Hilton is committed to doubling their investment in social impact and cutting their environmental footprint in half through responsible hospitality across the company’s value chain.
They clearly communicate their 2030 goals with full transparency on progress to date.
They have also created a one-page overview that summarises the entire initiative in a visually appealing and easy to digest format.
SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
Tailor your messaging around Climate Action to create bite-sized content.
Keep your climate action messages consistent across all channels - tone, visuals, facts and figures. On social media, back up environmental claims with evidence.
Consider your key segments relative to the audience for each platform (LinkedIn versus Facebook versus Instagram) and create content accordingly.
Ensure you’re making use of all relevant social media channels and repurpose content to fit your chosen medium.
Post regularly to keep your audience engaged. Start a Climate Action series where you post on a certain date and time, so that your audience comes to expect the content.
Engage with brands and producers who you admire for
their Climate Action efforts.
Celebrate local producers through a series of ‘Meet the Maker’ posts, blogs, and experiences.
Leverage popular hashtags to drive greater reach.
Be educational while entertaining.
Capture and curate appealing imagery and video to tell your Climate Action story.
EMAIL MARKETING MUST-DOs
Look at your ezine schedule and commit to a regular slot for your Climate Action initiatives, including work by the wider community.
Include a question on how customers and visitors would rate your Climate Action efforts as part of their experience in any post-visit surveys.
Send a virtual comments box inviting customers and visitors to share ideas about how you
could further improve your environmental efforts. Include an incentive like a gift voucher as a prize for those who share the best ideas. Ensure to adhere to GDPR.
OVERHAUL YOUR PRE-VISIT EMAIL
Replace paper tickets with digital formats.
List the simple, positive ways in which visitors can support your environmental efforts during their stay e.g., include a map with recycling points or electric vehicle charging stations along a trail, provide a discount off hot beverages or a free refill for hikers who bring a flask along to a local café, re-use towels.
Share social media handles and your Climate Action initiative hashtag in any pre-visit communication, encouraging visitors to tag you during their trip.
NIRE VALLEY COMERAGH MOUNTAINS BOGTROT, CO. WATERFORD
Share destination information to aid decision making and planning
Consumers want to play their part so build your Climate Action story into various touchpoints along the visitor experience. Make it impactful and interactive, inviting the visitor to engage with your sustainability efforts and learn about your carbon reduction journey.
Share a QR code at the entrance, ticket desk or in the reception area that visitors can easily scan to access your Climate Action policy. Keep it topline, with a link to find out more for those who’d like to explore further later in the day or when they’ve returned
Key Insight
During the rainy season in Bali, the beaches of the island become swamped with rubbish washed away on the shores. In response, the team at W Bali – Seminyak created an installation of a large fish called Goby, encouraging guests to dispose of their plastic for recycling by feeding the fish. The team’s quick thinking sparked conversation while building sustainability awareness.
home. Include a fun list of things they can do during their visit to support your efforts.
Create a visual display like an infographic that summarises your efforts in areas of high footfall or where visitors may have some dwell time, such as in a queue for food or an attraction.
Partner with a local artist or brand to create an installation made from recycled material. This will spark a conversation around supporting the environment and integrate a way that visitors can get involved.
Where local produce features
on your menus, highlight the local producers you source from , including their location, bios and the products they supply, on the menu. Why not create a feature wall with a map highlighting all producers within a certain radius? Or consider offering a food trail experience.
In the case of guided tours, explore ways to include sustainable initiatives from your own product and the destination, while driving awareness of the local environment and the positive impact carbon reduction can have.
Influence in-destination visitor behaviour
You communicate your Climate Action policy so that it is visible during the planning stage of the consumer journey. It’s also important to consider how you can provide an opportunity for visitors to support your initiatives on arrival.
As consumers become increasingly conscious of their actions and how they can be more environmentally friendly in their travels, activities that encourage sustainable behaviours may promote a feelgood factor and contribute to a positive, memorable experience. Some ideas to help inspire your thinking include:
Encourage paperless transactions across all points of sale from arrival to departure, with email tickets, invoices, receipts, brochures, maps, guides, and guest directories in digital format via a QR code.
Introduce signage at your entry point detailing topline initiatives that are relevant to the visitor journey and how they can get involved. Place reminders at key touchpoints such as recycling bins, washrooms, and water stations.
Incorporate a ‘Green Trail’ into your product offering with an opportunity for customers to earn points along the way for every completed activity that can be converted into a reduction of their bill. Ideas include reusing towels, switching off lights, using a re-usable cup, volunteering to take part in a local beach clean, and ordering local food & drink produce.
In the case of local festivals, farmer’s markets, and activations, try the German ‘Pfand’ System by charging
the customer a deposit for their glass or cup, that is only refunded when it is returned.
Provide meeting delegates and event attendees with a reusable water bottle that can be refilled from a water station. This reduces the waste from opening multiple plastic and glass water bottles.
Reward customers who contribute towards your Climate Action goals. See our Green Rewards and Customer Loyalty Section for some ideas!
Create a comments box at the departure point for visitors to share ideas on Climate Action initiatives. Provide an incentive to encourage comments such as ‘the chance to win an annual membership, complimentary stay etc.’.
Create visitor give-back opportunities
Create visitor give-back opportunities
Consumers may be mindful about the carbon emissions from flying and seek to make a positive socio-economic impact during their trip to offset their carbon footprint. Consider how can you help them to give back, including local initiatives that you can build into your business offering.
6 WAYS TO HELP YOUR VISITORS LEAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT
1 Try a beach clean-up if you are located near the coast.
2 Promote outdoor activities in nature that have a low impact on the environment.
3 Research food and drink experiences that celebrate local producers.
4 Make it easy for visitors to explore the destination by foot over public transport with guided walks and trails.
5 Trial a discount card to use in local retailers, cafes, and restaurants.
6 Introduce tree-planting on the grounds of your premises.
Local Community & Culture
IMPACT OF TRAVEL
Based on Booking.com's 2025 Sustainable Travel Report, 69% of travellers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived, with 73% wanting the money they spend to go back to the community. For the first time in this survey, more than half (53%) are now conscious of tourism’s impact on local communities.
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: GOOD TRAVEL WITH MARRIOT BONVOY
A programme allowing guests to forge connections with local communities for meaningful travel, Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy offers curated purposedriven experiences that focus on three distinct pillars: Environmental Protection, Community Engagement and Marine Conservation.
From mangrove conservation to beach clean-ups and food redistribution, Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy provides guests with the opportunity to contribute as they explore and build deeper connections with a destination.
Key Resource
Check out irelandscontentpool.com to access professional, free-to-use imagery and videos of hundreds of destinations around Ireland.
10 TIPS FOR TELLING YOUR DESTINATION STORY
1 Focus on others It is important to tell your climate action story, but it is also important to tell the stories of other people, places and activities around you.
2 View sustainability as the connector Focus on how a sustainability ethos connects people and places in the destination.
3 Embrace social media Share real-life positive stories around that shared commitment to climate-friendly principles. Create a climate action hashtag for your destination and encourage others to use it.
4 Emphasise the beauty and accessibility of nature Give people the inside track on how to get up close and personal with nature in your area. Share lots of ideas for getting outside to walk, bike or hike.
5 Share the verifiable environmental efforts of other local businesses in your area, such as those with recognised certifications or demonstrable initiatives. Celebrate their achievements, spotlight their impact, and share what it is you admire about them.
6 Let visitors know how they can reduce their climate impact through local travel choices Share information on car-pooling options, bike hire, walking itineraries, walking guide services, and public and community transport timetable.
7 Support and celebrate community-based projects Shine a light on all that goes on in your area that helps make your destination a better place to be e.g., clean-ups, community festivals and events, biodiversity programmes, school projects.
8 Engage the local community in your climate action journey Let people know how your own endeavours and tourism in general may benefit them and their place. This may result in residents becoming advocates for you and other local businesses.
9 Write about it Create case studies or blogs based on the best climate action stories from your destination. Focus on the people behind the projects and their climate action journey.
10 Partner with other businesses to tell your shared story If your destination shares a verified sustainability commitment, such as a joint certification, code of practice, or published charter, you can more effectively appeal to visitors who seek out environmentally and socially responsible experiences.
BLACK HEAD LIGHTHOUSE, THE BURREN, CO. CLARE
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: FREE CUP OF TEA IF YOU CYCLE TO ME
BURREN ECOTOURISM NETWORK
Members of the Burren Ecotourism Network, nearly 70 in number, work in partnership with the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. The businesses adopt The Geopark’s
Code of Practice for Sustainable Tourism, which commits them to collaborating on climate action, community, heritage, landscape, food and marketing projects. Each business provides evidence to
Several businesses in the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark in Co. Clare make a shared promise to visitors: anyone who arrives by bike is rewarded with a complimentary tea or coffee. This promotes sustainable transport and highlights that the best way to see The Burren is by leaving your car behind!
demonstrate how they meet the requirements of the Code, which is then assessed and verified by independent auditors.
MULLAGHMORE LOOP, THE BURREN, CO. CLARE
POULNABRONE DOLMEN, THE BURREN, CO. CLARE
Rewards and customer loyalty programmes
You can incentivise your customers to contribute by incorporating Climate Action into an existing loyalty programme or by rewarding their efforts to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ throughout a visit or stay.
Environmentally conscious consumers may be drawn to brands that share similar core values to themselves. They may be more inclined to support brands that visibly communicate and act on their sustainability commitments.
It can cost more to retain your current customer base than attract new ones. The good news is that loyal customers are known to spend more and can become brand advocates.
Here’s some tips for incentivising consumers to support Climate Action, and how this can benefit your business:
encourage customers to support your Climate Action efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle which can in turn reduce operational costs
attract more customers and boost spend by encouraging stays with clearly-defined sustainability-linked rewards
seek to drive greater engagement across social media by participating in environmental conversations and campaigns
foster a community of brand advocates who may share insights on your climate action journey through word of mouth, positive referrals as well as becoming repeat visitors themselves.
Key Insight
According to the American Express Global Travel Trends Report 2025, “Consumers are becoming more conscious travellers with an increased desire to book their travel through companies that are aligned with their values and will journey to destinations where they can have a positive impact on communities. 59% of respondents agree that they are interested in 'philantourism', the act of choosing a vacation or experience to support a destination through tourism society."
ARAN ISLANDS CAMPING AND GLAMPING, INISHMORE, ARAN ISLANDS, CO. GALWAY
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: CLIMATE ACTION CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Rewards system at Sandymount Hotel
Sandymount Hotel in Dublin is a three-time winner of ‘Europe’s Leading Green Hotel’ at the World Travel Awards, positioning the hotel as a ‘green’ leader in an elite category of environmentally friendly hotels. As part of their initiatives, Sandymount Hotel offers incentives to guests who help the hotel to take a ‘greener’ approach. For example, if a guest opts-out of housekeeping, they are rewarded with a €5 voucher redeemable in the hotel’s bar.
In 2024, Copenhagen introduced CopenPay, a pilot programme designed to encourage tourists and locals to engage in climate-friendly activities. Participants who opted for sustainable actions, such as cycling to attractions or participating in litter clean-ups, are rewarded with perks like free ice cream, complimentary lunches, or extended access to cultural sites. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between tourists' sustainable intentions and their actions, promoting ecofriendly behaviours during their stay. The programme aligns with Copenhagen's broader goal to become carbon-neutral by 2025. CopenPay - Free attractions for climate actions | Visit Copenhagen
ARIGADEEN RIVER, CO. CORK
Promote certifications and standards
Promote certifications and standards
Strengthen the credibility of your climate action efforts by securing a recognised third party certification or adopting a credible reporting framework aligned with industry best practices. This provides thirdparty validation of your practices and
can help demonstrate measurable progress to stakeholders. It may reassure clients and visitors of the authenticity of your communications. There are national and international options available so you can identify one that is robust, credible
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: CERTIFICATIONS
Killarney Park Hotel goes green
The Killarney Park Hotel first used the Green Hospitality Programme as a framework for its climate journey and is a Certified Gold Member. The hotel is now working to achieve further certification with Sustainable Travel Ireland and is progressing with the international It Must Be Now programme.
Croke Park’s high sustainability standards
Croke Park was the first stadium in Ireland and Britain to secure both ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and ISO 20121 (Sustainable Event Management) standards. The stadium is currently striving towards ISO 50001 (Energy Management).
and adds value to your customers. Irish tourism and hospitality businesses across the country are increasingly choosing recognised third party certifications as a way to structure and communicate their sustainability efforts.
“We learned a lot through the certification process, it has huge educational value. Each certification process has a different focus, but they all tie back to the same overall theme”.
Marcus Treacy, General Manager, Killarney Park Hotel
“We are proud of wanting to reach the highest standards in sustainability. The ISO process provided a great framework for our internal journey. Our international corporate clients are reassured of our best practices in this area.”
Shauna Conroy, Business Development Executive, Croke Park
SHAUNA CONROY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE, CROKE PARK
MARCUS TREACY, GENERAL MANAGER, KILLARNEY PARK HOTEL
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: HOW HOTEL DOOLIN’S AWARDS COMMUNICATE CLIMATE ACTION BENEFITS
Hotel Doolin, the first hotel in Ireland to become certified as carbon neutral, has won more than 30 awards for sustainability and Climate Action since it started its green journey in 2013, including the Overall Green Business of the Year 2022 at the Green Awards, the Gold Medal Award 2021 for Ireland’s Greenest Hotel, The Green Award for Best Medium Sized Organisation of the Year 2021 and The Green Award for Sustainability Team of the Year 2021.
“Entering these awards reminds us of our achievements and being shortlisted and winning is really rewarding for the team at Hotel Doolin. The national and international exposure that the awards create for us is very beneficial. There are many networking opportunities, and, in our case, we have seen an increase in business as a result.
A growing number of wedding couples now choose to host their wedding with us because we are a sustainable and carbon neutral venue. Feedback has been very positive from guests overall. Our guests are becoming increasingly conscious of their carbon footprint.” Áine Martin, HR & Green Manager, Hotel Doolin
Share achievements and good news
Awards can help communicate verifiable sustainability actions to your audience in a credible way. The application process challenges you to look at your Climate Action policy, the results it’s driving, and how you can improve. Review award nominees and winners to understand how others are addressing sustainability challenges and meeting recognised standards.
With awards in Ireland and abroad, research those relevant to your business offering and target audience.
HOW TO
PREP FOR AWARD ENTRIES
Research relevant awards.
Filter by submission date.
Filter by cost (some are free, and others have an entry fee). Where there is a cost involved, speak to your marketing and communications lead to see if
there is budget to cover the submission.
Review application requirements well in advance of the deadline – you may need to collate data or involve others in the application.
Make sure you include all your verifiable sustainability achievements while respecting the word allocation limits.
Provide evidence to support your claims.
3 Steps for leveraging award opportunities
In summary, when exploring awards opportunities, follow these 3 steps:
1 RESEARCH to find the awards most relevant to your business and target market
2 PREPARE a strong application with facts and figures to back-up your efforts
3 CELEBRATE verifiable and transparent environmental achievements by leveraging PR opportunities and visibility across marketing and communication channels
Communicating your sustainability commitments to buyers
We have focused on highlighting sustainability commitments to consumers, now let's look briefly at communicating your credentials to professional travel buyers.
As professional travel buyers operate in busy environments where they engage with multiple stakeholders and markets, it is helpful to note in bullet point format the responses to each of the below noted questions.
What do we do to safeguard the environment?
What do we do to champion and support our local community?
What do we do to support local livelihoods and the economy?
While the outcome will naturally be different for each business, it is useful to group the answers to these questions into two
categories – 1) Key points; 2) Points of interest for the travel buyer and their global customer.
To ensure that your sustainability practices are clearly communicated and understood by professional travel buyers during in-person meetings, it’s important that what you say is consistent with what you show and do.
Visually: With high-quality images or short videos that illustrate specific actions you’ve taken
Behaviourally: Adopting a professional and friendly approach that aligns with transparent presentation of credible climate action efforts
Apart from written text, when creating content such as a PDF brochure you should also include:
Quality images that showcase
specific sustainability actions
Relevant website links that a buyer can access to find out more about your green ethos and policies
Reputable awards, recognised accreditations and third-party certifications, and memberships, and memberships that include clear performance criteria and reporting requirements
Provide evidence of your sustainability efforts on-site.
For examples and further information on how to highlight your verifiable sustainability practices to professional travel buyers, see here
Key Insight
Remembering that accreditations and memberships known in Ireland may be unfamiliar in the global marketplace where travel buyers operate, it can be important to provide further clarity. For example, a food or drink-related tourism business might advise “As an ethical food practitioner and responsible supplier, we are members of Origin Green in Ireland which is the world’s only national food and drink sustainability programme.”
HONEY, KYLEMORE FARMHOUSE
KYLEMORE, CO GALWAY
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DOs
Be clear and concise in your messaging, avoiding complex language or jargon that the visitor will find difficult to digest.
Aim to educate employees, stakeholders and visitors about the impact carbon emissions are having on your local environment to help them understand and appreciate your reasoning.
Be unique by highlighting what you are doing differently to others and the benefits of your efforts. Ensure any claims of uniqueness or benefit are backed by examples or evidence.
Localise your message by communicating Climate Action relative to your business and destination.
Consider third-party certifications that are independently verified and recognised to build your credibility.
Keep your target audience in mind and tailor your communication based on the segments you are speaking to. Different age groups and demographics have varying tastes and preferences and consume different types of media. Draft your message and select your marketing channels accordingly.
Build the creation and curation of imagery and video to support the communication of your Climate Action policies and initiatives into your content strategy and shoots.
Integrate care for the environment throughout your operations and visitor experience
Share your climate action milestones through PR, focusing on clear and verifiable story angles.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DON'TS
Use heavy, complex terminology that the visitor may struggle to understand.
Just talk about reducing single-use plastic and recycling.
Highlight certification without clearly conveying the basis for earning sustainability commitments.
Publish your message once and never update it. Keep your audience informed, interested, and engaged by regularly communicating what you are doing and coming up with new initiatives.
KEY RESOURCES
Claim that you source local produce without backing it up by sharing the stories of the growers and farmers you work with.
Communicate about renewable materials unless you can identify the material being used and explain why it is renewable.
State that your packaging is made from recycled material unless it is 100% so.
Fáilte Ireland Business Supports Hub A comprehensive range of sales and marketing business supports and resources for the Irish tourism industry.
Fáilte Ireland's Keep Discovering Industry Toolkit Get the tools you need to market your business with our Keep Discovering Industry Toolkit.
Fáilte Ireland Consumer Insights Report Gain insights on future-facing sustainable experiences that could motivate people to make sustainable trip choices.
Climate Action Guides
Explore our series of guides as part of Fáilte Ireland’s Driving Action on Climate Change in tourism businesses. You can find links to all the others in the series to help you on your climate action journey here.
CLIMATE ACTION ROADMAP
Explore our key tool designed to help you navigate the climate action journey of cost and carbon reduction.
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HOW TO FIND OUT MORE
Just click on the covers below to access each guide in our series.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Learn how minimising energy consumption using renewable energy alternatives will save costs and reduce carbon emissions.
BIODIVERSITY
Find out how enhancing biodiversity in your business or location is a great place to start actioning climate change.
WATER MANAGEMENT
Explore our guide for suggestions on how your business can reduce water consumption, resulting in a lower water bill.
MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Learn how to run a climate-friendly meeting or event that incorporates environmental considerations.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Find out how waste management can reduce your carbon footprint which can directly lead to cost-savings.
FESTIVALS
Discover more about the importance of festivals for climate action from applying influence and inspiration to engaging with audiences.
CARBON OFFSETTING
Read our advice for tourism businesses who wish to complement their reduction strategies by offsetting emissions.
