The most surreal image of the summer must be that photo of a couple watching a French wildfire out of control from beach deckchairs. It’s hard not to feel like a guilty spectator of catastrophe this summer – enjoying the beautiful weather at home while unbearable heat and mega-wildfires have been ravaging continental Europe.
According to climate scientists, these successive and extreme heatwaves would have been unthinkable in a world without climate change. So far, the heatwaves are estimated to have killed at least 10,000 people and cost grain farmers €2 billion in lost crops. And the summer is not over yet.
Ireland is by no means immune from climate risk: last week, the smoke from wildfires on Slievenamon in Co Tipperary smothered the county and neighbouring areas for a couple of days, and hosepipe bans are in place throughout the country. The average temperature this summer has been a couple of degrees higher than recent years, which again is a hallmark of climate change.
But Ireland is lucky that its relatively cool climate could make it an increasingly attractive destination for Irish holidaymakers as well as visitors seeking a break from extreme heat.
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In truth, it has always been a wonderful holiday destination, especially for outdoor activities such as sailing, surfing, cycling and hiking. We have beautiful landscapes, beaches and waterways, well-presented heritage and cultural experiences, a good food culture and plenty of things to do by day or by night.
I have spent the last week holidaying less than 30km from where I live, along the Waterford-Dungarvan greenway. The greenway is thick every day with cyclists and walkers of all ages and abilities, from infants dozing in trailers to pensioners and teenagers with hurls and swimming gear. It is impossible to tell whether they are visitors or locals, which is proof of how the greenway caters to local need as well as visitors. Cafes along the route are doing a roaring trade and accommodation providers make a point of advertising their proximity to the greenway and various bike hire facilities.
While the concept of a cycling holiday is hardly a new idea, it remains woefully underappreciated. There doesn’t seem to be any serious effort at promoting Ireland abroad as a sustainable ecotourism destination. Patchy, incomplete infrastructure is one problem, but the cost of holidaying in Ireland is unfortunately a significant barrier no matter how you travel around.
According to the CSO, there are about 67,000 holiday homes that are heavily concentrated in coastal and rural countries such as Donegal, Kerry, Cork, Wexford and Clare. If you don’t own a second property, the cost of renting at one of these coastal locations can be prohibitively expensive, with prices starting at €2,000 per week for a family of four during the peak holiday period. Few would be accessible by public transport. The accommodation available through short-term lettings like Airbnb has obviously helped somewhat, but poorly regulated lettings could be distorting the rental market for people who want to live and work full-time in those areas. Hotel accommodation is scarce and very expensive, with a surprising number of seaside hotels closed altogether.
It is no wonder many families find it cheaper to get a plane to Spain or Portugal instead of holidaying in Ireland.
The shortage of affordable, family-friendly accommodation is perhaps the biggest barrier to growing an indigenous tourism market. It is hard to understand why there are not cheaper accommodation options like hostels and serviced camping sites dotted around the countryside.
Ecotourism offers visitor experiences that do minimal environmental damage and opportunities to connect with nature and the landscape directly. This starts with how people get to their destination: an ecotourism strategy should first focus on improving connectivity by public transport, ferry connections, bicycle and walking routes, with easy intermodal switching and hire options, and e-charging facilities for EVs and e-bikes.
Many of our most popular holiday destinations are hard to reach by public transport, and routes like the Wild Atlantic Way are in practice only navigable by car. Improving public transport to more remote areas would benefit everyone, not just tourists. And then there’s the need for public toilets and lifeguard coverage, waste and litter control, waymarked walking routes and dedicated sites for camper vans and tents.
Greenways offer a unique way to access the countryside off-road and have untapped tourism potential, but their completion is being blocked in many places by belligerent objectors who remain to be convinced that greenways offer benefits, not inconvenience.
Basic facilities like footpaths, playgrounds, picnic areas and bins are simply absent in many towns and villages that tourists would like to stop and visit. We may pride ourselves on our warm hospitality – but what are we actually doing to earn this reputation?
Ireland has potential as a sustainable holiday destination and our cooler climate may be more of a draw than in the past. But we must learn from the mistakes made elsewhere and focus on improving what we already have, and above all, support affordable alternatives to mass tourism.
