DUBLIN’S NEW TOURISM STRATEGY TO FOCUS ON CLIMATE ACTION

Dec 21, 2023 | Featured Articles

Dublin City Council’s new tourism strategy, with a core focus on climate action and sustainability in tourism, represents the council’s strong statement of intent to develop the capital city as a human, sustainable and innovative destination for locals and visitors alike in the years ahead.

Dublin City Council’s new Tourism Strategy 2023-2028 was officially launched at the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Global Culture Summit, in Dublin in late November 2023.

The council has identified three goals that have shaped the new tourism strategy.

  • Human: serves a people-centered and community-based growth agenda.
  • Sustainable: is proactive, accountable and measurable toward Dublin’s climate goals.
  • Innovative: is future-facing, creative, collaborative and digitally advanced.

The strategy has also been founded on several UN Sustainable Development Goals. “In order to connect our tourism strategy to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we have connected each tourism pillar to a specific Sustainable Development Goal,” according to Mary MacSweeney, DCC’s Acting Executive Manager for Culture, Recreation and Economic Services.

These Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include No. 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; No. 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; No. 12 Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, No. 13 Climate Action and No. 17 Partnerships for the Goal. “We have also adopted the UNWTO (UN’s World Tourism Organisation) definition of sustainable tourism to underpin this work,” she added.

“The core principle of Dublin city’s new tourism strategy recognises that what is good for the local is also good for the visitor. This strategy aligns with our broader objectives to become a smarter and more resilient city where events, active mobility, greening strategies and other innovations will enhance the opportunity to experience a wealth of unique attractions in a sustainable way.

“DCC recognises that enabling a more sustainable tourism industry is a key action toward achieving the goals of our National Climate Action Plan. The council will also ensure that its tourism ambitions serve the broader climate aims and obligations within Dublin’s City Development Plan 2022-2028, which are to develop a city that is low carbon, sustainable and climate resilient.”

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