Clare retains international sustainable tourism certification - Clare Echo

COUNTY Clare has retained its Silver sustainable tourism certification following a five-day independent audit by international certification body EarthCheck, with this year’s assessment focusing on North Clare.

*EarthCheck auditor Daniel Frey meets NPWS and Geopark representatives at Fanore Dunes

Clare was the first, and remains the only, certified sustainable destination in Ireland and the UK. Its certification is validated by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), which establishes global standards for sustainable tourism.

The annual audit examined tourism businesses, suppliers, visitor experiences and attractions, as well as the wider infrastructure supporting tourism, including waste management, water, energy, roads and connectivity.

The 2025 audit assessed the wider county, while this year’s assessment focused on North Clare. Audits in future years will examine other parts of Clare in greater detail.

Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Cllr Joe Killeen said the certification reflected the work being undertaken by communities and businesses throughout the county.

“Retaining the EarthCheck certification demonstrates the commitment of the Council, our citizens and organisations across Clare to the ongoing development of sustainable tourism and destination management,” he said.

“Tourism is an important part of the local economy, but it also places demand on our infrastructure and natural environment. The certification process provides an independent assessment of how we are managing those demands and where improvements can be made.”

Clare County Council Director of Tourism, Recreation, Libraries and Cultural Services Siobhán McNulty said the audit examined sustainability across the county, extending beyond tourism.

“EarthCheck is a robust certification system, and the annual audit examines the wider destination infrastructure, including waste, water, energy, roads and connectivity, as well as tourism businesses, suppliers and visitor experiences,” she said.

“Retaining our Silver certification following our second audit is recognition of the work taking place across the county. Importantly, the certification also provides us with a clear framework to measure our performance, track progress and identify areas where further improvements can be made.”

Manager of the Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark Carol Gleeson said sustainable tourism had been developing in parts of the county for many years.

“The audit highlighted the work already being carried out by our tourism businesses, communities and conservation organisations. The Geopark and the Burren Ecotourism Network (BEN) are examples of the work that has been taking place for many years,” she said.

“The challenge now is to build on that work in other parts of Clare and continue adapting Clare’s tourism offering to enhance community benefit and environmental standards and to meet changing visitor expectations.”

The County Clare GSTC Destination Green Team champions the county’s sustainable destination programme.

It includes a cross-section of local authority employees, tourism agencies and businesses, conservation agencies, community leaders and organisations, the UN Tourism International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) Network, and the sustainable tourism expertise of Atlantic Technological University Sligo.

Further information is available at www.visitclare.ie/sustainable .

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