County Clare’s Sustainable Journey
County Clare was announced as Ireland’s first county-wide certified sustainable tourism destination in April 2025. By achieving Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification, we are committed to continuing to develop our county as a destination that supports local communities and businesses, gives visitors great experiences, and manages our social, cultural, economic, and environmental future.
Sustainable Destination
Clare’s journey towards becoming a sustainable tourism destination was featured by ITN Business on World Tourism Day.
County Clare’s Sustainable Tourism Journey
Tourism and community leaders have come together to successfully establish County Clare as the first county-wide certified sustainable tourism destination in Ireland. Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification is helping us to continue to develop Clare as a destination that supports local communities and businesses, gives visitors great experiences and manages our social, cultural, economic, and environmental future.
County Clare’s Sustainable Tourism Policy
Embracing the region’s rich heritage and stunning natural beauty, County Clare is deeply committed to leading the advancement towards a sustainable tourism future. Our Sustainable Tourism Policy underscores Clare County Council’s firm commitment to evolving into a globally recognised destination dedicated to sustainability for the betterment of all.
“The destination certification process is a way for all stakeholders to focus on developing County Clare as a place that supports local communities and businesses, delivers exceptional visitor experiences, and safeguards our social, cultural, economic, and environmental future.”
“Certification enhances transparency, fosters greater collaboration in tourism planning, and reaffirms our commitment to sustainability. Our ongoing partnership with ATU Sligo is crucial to advancing systems to measure and monitor the growth of a truly sustainable tourism offering.”
Evidence-Based Destination Planning
Our Guidance and Indicator Results are provided within a dashboard format below, using Infographics. The series of infographics provides a foundational overview and baseline data as County Clare continues its journey towards enhanced sustainability in tourism. The initial graphics establish the context and define sustainable tourism, while the subsequent infographics present the inaugural findings from visitor and resident surveys. This multifaceted approach marks the first step in setting benchmarks, which will inform and track the progress of Clare’s sustainability objectives in the years to come.
How Sustainable Tourism Is Defined
This infographic provides an overview of how sustainable tourism in County Clare is defined, supported by international frameworks, and contributes to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Methodologies used for indicator survey data collection
This infographic illustrates the methodologies and demographic insights from the visitor and resident surveys conducted for Clare’s Sustainable Tourism Dashboard, contributing to evidence-based destination planning.
Visitor Survey Results (2022/2023)
This infographic provides insights from the 2022-2023 visitor surveys in County Clare, outlining visitor satisfaction, economic sustainability metrics, transportation choices, carbon footprint data, and feedback on sustainable practices.
Resident Survey Results (2022/2023)
This infographic summarises the results of the 2022-2023 resident survey on sustainable tourism in Clare, detailing residents’ perceptions of tourism’s impact on the local economy, environment, and community, alongside their overall satisfaction and suggestions for sustainable development
Indicator System for Sustainable Destination Management
A Sustainable Tourism Indicator System is a multifaceted framework designed to help destinations plan more effectively for sustainability. It serves as a management and monitoring tool, enabling destinations to track performance and provides policymakers with actionable insights. County Clare’s Sustainable Tourism Indicator System is measuring against more than 40 indicators across the categories of governance, social, economic, cultural, and environmental issues. The indicators have been selected due to their flexibility, usability, applicably and their ability to compare against International and European benchmarks. Sources include:
Local indicators
The European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS)
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria (GSTC-D)
Sustainable Destination Certification goes beyond a simple checklist or one-dimensional assessment. Clare County Council, as the local authority for County Clare, is proud to have supported Clare’s journey to being named Ireland’s first formally certified Sustainable Destination in April 2025.
To illustrate to communities, DMOs and stakeholders who may be interested in the process going forward, the following infographic demonstrates the full breadth of the timeline, collaborative efforts, budget considerations, long-term commitment, in-depth data collection, and ongoing process of improving on internationally recognised, third-party verified sustainable tourism indicators. A high-resolution version of the infographic may be downloaded here.
The Tourism Department of Clare County Council and the Clare Tourism Advisory Forum have established a County Clare Destination Green Team to oversee County Clare’s sustainable journey. The Team comprises 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 Technical University (ATU) Sligo.
To find out more about County Clare Destination Green Team, see here or contact us below.
Contact
Tourism development
Clare County Council
Áras Contae an Chláir
New Road
Ennis
Co. Clare
V95 DXP2
Opening hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with offices open through lunch.
“Our priority now is to collaborate with the broader Clare tourism sector, local communities, State agencies and all departments in Clare County Council to strengthen and build on our Sustainable Destination status.”
“Securing sustainable destination status for County Clare is not merely about attracting tourists or receiving accreditation. For Clare County Council, achieving GSTC Certification is about delivering on the promise set out in the County Clare Tourism Strategy 2030. It’s about ensuring tourism benefits are shared fairly across our communities, creating year-round employment, enhancing the visitor experience, and, importantly, redefining how we approach and manage tourism in the county”.
“Securing this accreditation is a major achievement at a time when the tourism sector is navigating significant challenge It’s vital that our county continues to lead by example, setting a path that others may follow now and into the future.”
“The Geopark and businesses in North Clare have long worked towards sustainable tourism, setting an example for the rest of the county and playing a key role in securing international recognition for Clare’s destination management efforts. the positive impact of this approach is clear in the success of the Burren Ecotourism Network. I’m excited to see this approach spread within Clare—a way of working collaboratively on a tourism experience that is authentic, enjoyable and ultimately beneficial to our local communities.”
“The key to successful destination management is using sustainable tourism indicators to measure and monitor tourism to inform and drive evidence-based planning” – Dr. James Hanrahan, lecturer in Tourism Management, ATU Sligo.
“The County Clare GSTC Destination Green Team is adopting a collaborative approach to learn more about sustainability best practices for businesses and destinations” – Fiona Mckenna, Sustainable Destination Development Officer, Clare Tourism Development DAC
