Tourism Northern Ireland host sustainability field trip

The programme, facilitated by The The Tourism Space®®, offers structured mentoring and training, enabling businesses across Northern Ireland to develop sustainable tourism offerings, reduce waste, water and energy consumption, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainability.

During the field trip, the group met members of Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark's Business Sustainability Network, made up of a wide range of businesses in the area who have previously completed the programme and now form a local network with the common goal of enhancing the destination with sustainable tourism experiences.

Among the stops were Belmore Court & Motel, Enniskillen, Erne Water Taxi, Blue Green Yonder, Tully Mill Restaurant and Marble Arch Caves.

At each location, participants were given the opportunity to tour the host venue or experience as well as hear about ongoing action plans for making sustainability improvements to their business.

Following the field trip, participants will continue participating in modules designed to increase their knowledge on topics including accessibility and inclusion, sustainability storytelling and completing a carbon footprint calculator.

By the end of the programme, all participants will have completed a sustainability action plan for their business.

Following assessment, members will be awarded a Level 4 Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Practice in Destinations, accredited by Ulster University.

Jessica Hoyle, Experience Brand Manager at Tourism Northern Ireland, said “The field trip module of the Sustainable Tourism Business Programme is consistently mentioned as one of the highlights of the programme by participants.

"Implementing sustainability initiatives can be complex and the field trip to the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark is a fantastic opportunity to not only enhance knowledge of other sustainable businesses across Northern Ireland, but also meet like-minded operators and hear first-hand how they are implementing actions to make meaningful sustainable progress."