Tourism bosses have said the next Government will need to increase supports for the industry if Irish tourism is to succeed in its mission to transition to a greener and more sustainable future.
The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) – the main umbrella representative group for the inbound and domestic tourism sector – said, this week: “Additional sustainability budgets will be required to help the industry on the path to decarbonisation.
“An appropriate proportion of the National Training Fund, which stands at €1.5bn, should be earmarked for tourism and hospitality for upskilling and training needs.”
In its newly-published Voting for Tourism pre-General Election industry manifesto, ITIC said: “Ireland’s tourism industry is fully committed to the State’s climate action obligations. Significant strides and initiatives, within industry, are happening, but need to be supported with appropriate resources to ensure that big-ticket items like retrofitting and green energy can be implemented.
“EV [electric vehicle] infrastructure must be rolled out expeditiously; Ireland has the opportunity to become a production and development hub for Sustainable Aviation Fuel; and taxation on green fuels, such as hydro-treated vegetable oil, needs to be reformed.”
