The tourism industry risks luring visitors to a "green" Ireland under false pretences unless it cleans up its act environmentally, Fáilte Ireland has said.
Delegates at the Fáilte Ireland annual conference were told yesterday that their businesses needed to become more environmentally friendly if the industry is to survive and prosper.
The quality of Ireland's environment had been the foundation of international tourism marketing campaigns for decades, Fáilte Ireland chief executive Shaun Quinn said.
"Unless action is taken to preserve it, we will be faced with the risk of an increasing mismatch between the image we use to lure visitors to our shores, and the environmental reality they meet once they arrive," Mr Quinn said.
The industry should also take a lead role in campaigning for a cleaner environment and should speak out against other industries which are contributing to climate change.
"In addition to having a pro-environment position on issues related to planning, to climate change and to water quality, it must also become an advocate for the adoption of high environmental standards by others," Mr Quinn said.
"The industry can become a very powerful lobby for environmental protection, and it must speak out clearly and without apology when the policies and actions of others damage the raw material our industry depends upon," he said.
Fáilte Ireland had established an environmental unit which was devising policies to enable tourism enterprises to behave in an environmentally responsible manner.
Businesses will be encouraged to look at their environmental performance and take steps to reduce any negative impacts. They should also consider their future performance and assess how they could benefit from using new "clean technologies", Fáilte Ireland said.
