The Tourism Space®

🌿 Embarking on a Journey with Carlow Garden Trail 🌿 Over the past 12 weeks, I've had the incredible opportunity to join members of the Carlow Garden Trail on a transformative journey. Together, we explored sustainable tourism through a programme supported by Fáilte Ireland and Carlow Tourism and delivered by The Tourism Space® The programme concluded in Carlow yesterday with presentations on learnings, challenges, and next steps. Great to hear how the programme has influenced actions towards a more sustainable future and to witness this group's collaboration and sharing of experiences. A bonus is that this programme is accredited by Munster Technological University (MTU) as a Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Destinations. A huge thank you to the Carlow Garden Trail members who participated in the programme. Thanks also to Eileen O'Rourke and Elisa from Carlow Tourism, Tina O'Dwyer from The Tourism Space, Tj OConnor from MTU, and Coilín O’Reilly and Jannette O'Brien, Carlow County Council, for their collaboration and support. And thanks to Arboretum Carlow, Altamont Plants and Delta Sensory Gardens for providing venues throughout the programme. This journey has been incredibly rewarding for me personally as I've gained valuable insights into sustainable tourism and built connections with passionate individuals who want to make a positive impact. I look forward to continuing our work together and contributing to a greener, more sustainable future

Reflections from the IAAT Conference 🤔✨ There’s something special about a conference with its own distinctive personality—and yesterday’s IAAT Conference in Killarney certainly delivered. Apart from my detailed notes, I came away with some standout reflections as well: 🌄 Outdoor Adventure Sets the Tone I missed out on the outdoor activities on Day 1, but I didn’t miss the buzz. The exhilaration, excitement, and that satisfying fatigue were evident in everyone who took part. It carried right through the evening networking and into the Day 2 conference. 🌟 Hungry, Thirsty, Tired: A Perfect Fit in Tourism As IAAT Chair Colin Wolfe said in his opening address, this sector’s role is to create experiences that leave people hungry, thirsty, and tired. It’s such a simple yet perfect description of how adventure tourism fits into the wider tourism ecosystem. 🔗 Tourism: A True Connector Across the Island This event had a genuine All-Island feel—reflected in the IAAT Board, the range of speakers, and the choice of themes. Tourism is such a powerful connector—within counties, between counties, across borders, and among visitors, businesses, and state agencies. Few industries bring Ireland’s people, places, and purpose together quite like this one. 🌿  Better Together Collaboration was a recurring theme throughout the day. As the Chair so rightly pointed out at the outset “The bigger our constituency, the greater our voice.” The membership and influence of the IAAT is clearly growing—and I expect we’ll be hearing a lot more from them in the years to come. 🧩 Authenticity vs. AI: A Tourism Conundrum Tourism thrives on Authenticity, yet Artificial Intelligence is becoming more central. The tension between these two is fascinating—and unresolved for me. Thanks to Ciaran Connolly for sparking such thought-provoking ideas, both on and off the stage. 💚 Tourism and the many Dimensions of Care The idea of care ran through so many conversations: government care for the sector; business and visitor care for communities and ecology; industry care for visitors, helping them find escape, adventure, and wellbeing; and, crucially, self-care for the passionate people driving this sector forward. Pól Ó Conghaile O’Conghaile reminded us that wellbeing isn’t all about spas and luxury pampering, and Dermot Whelan wrapped up the day with his uplifting message about finding joy and balance in simple, actionable ways that truly work for you. Great to get to chat with so many people from across the sector - too many to tag here! A huge congratulations to Brendan Kenny, CEO of Ireland's Association for Adventure Tourism and his entire support team for a fantastic event that seems to go from strength to strength each year. Mark your calendars for 26–28 November 2025—it’s one not to miss! #TourismLeadership #AdventureTourism #CollaborativeTourism #AuthenticityAndAI #WellbeingInTourism #TheTourismSpace #TourismConference

Thanks to all of the CE4RT tourism SMEs who participated in the INTERNATIONAL REGENERATIVE TOURISM conference in Dingle last week. A fantastic final event for the project incorporating a panel discussion with SME participants from each country, reflection sessions, networking,and of course our "Workshop on Wheels". The Workshops on Wheels involved visits around the Dingle Peninsula including: ➡️ Louis Mulcahy Pottery where Lasse Mulcahy one of the CE4RT participant businesses welcomed delegates and ran tours of their workshop and discussed running a tourism business in a Gaeltacht area ➡️ Anne's Coffee Bar where @Anne O'Sullivan, another CE4RT participant business welcomed delegates for lunch and discussed the challenges of running a tourism business in a remote area ➡️ Maharees Conservation Association representative Martha Farrell explained the work being done to protect and restore the sand dunes and how they engage both visitors and local community in the work and empower more responsible visitors as a result ➡️Máire Treasa Griffin (O Shea) from CE4RT participant #DingleOceanworld discussed their work in the education of both visitors and locals, challenges with sourcing sustainable gifts for their shop and supports needed for tourism businesses on the regenerative tourism path. ➡️Irish tourism SMEs sharing their stories with our international visitors ➡️Storytelling from local guides, scenic drives through #SleaHead and #Annascaul and much more! Keep in touch with the progress of the project through our website https://lnkd.in/e_iph4U4 where we will be sharing all of the outputs and tools that we have developed throughout the project. European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) Alan Vella Mary Rose Stafford Dr Kristin Brogan Caroline Boland Sam Adeyemi Anne-Mari Behm @Mika Nenonen Tina O'Dwyer Maciej Markowicz Lennard Drogendijk Mardjantie Stienstra Danmar Computers Ammattiopisto Samiedu Business Development Friesland The Tourism Space® #DinglePeninsulaTourismAlliance Circular Economy for Regenerative Tourism (CERT) @ MTU Munster Technological University Dr. Aisling Ward Shirley Millar (Sheehan) Feargus Dunne Noel Murray, PhD Cecilia Vallinder Floriane Colonnier

All roads lead to Killarney for our 2024 Adventure Tourism Conference on Wednesday 27th & Thursday 28th of November - with the kind support of our main sponsor, Kerry County Council. Day 1️⃣ will include a day of adventure activities, a B2B networking session for delegates and a local tourism showcase. Day 2️⃣ will then feature a series of engaging, insightful and inspiring presentations & discussions with leading industry representatives. Join the conversation at #iaatconf24 📸 Summit of Carrauntoohil by Gareth McCormack WorkLiveVisitKerry (discoverkerry.com) Fáilte Ireland Tourism Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland

🌍 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 – 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 🌿 Where better to host a business network meeting than on an island on Lough Erne in the Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark? Today, I joined fellow tourism businesses to explore a transformative way forward for our destination, 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺. In a place we proudly call home, our business network is already deeply committed to sustainability. However, today’s discussions focused on going beyond, finding ways to not just sustain but actively enhance our destination and our community through our tourism efforts. Led by the inspiring Tina O'Dwyer of The Tourism Space® , who is at the forefront of the conversation, we looked at the fantastic work already underway by local businesses and identified new opportunities to grow as a 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. Discussions focused on a commitment to a shared vision, of preserving and enriching the unique beauty, culture, and heritage of this special region. I am personally looking forward to attending the CE4RT International Regenerative Tourism Conference taking place in Dingle next week and taking away some learnings for our network. Huge thanks to our Geopark team Karan McLernon and Clarissa Beacom for all their invaluable work with the Business Network and to Trevor Foster of Blue Green Yonder for hosting us on Castle Island. Fermanagh Lakeland Tourism Fermanagh & Omagh District Council Cavan County Council #RegenerativeTourism