Top Tips for a more Sustainable Holiday

Galway has been working with the Global Destination Sustainability Index since 2018 benchmarking our destination against other destinations globally. We strive each year to improve on our sustainable credentials and mitigate the impact of travel to our destination. When choosing a holiday do look at visitor sites to see if the destination has any sustainable initiatives in place. Galway was awarded the European green leaf award in 2017 and you can find further information on our sustainable efforts here just click sustainability.

Plane travel is often the only viable way to reach some of the world’s great destinations, but one of the easiest ways travellers can offset their carbon footprint is by selecting an eco-friendly airline and airports. Our national airline Aer Lingus is part of IAG, the first airline group worldwide to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The group will achieve a 10% reduction in CO2 per passenger kilometre by 2025 and a 20% reduction in net emissions by 2030.

Aer Lingus are committed to reducing aviation's environmental impact and are investing in a range of global carbon reduction projects - such as rainforest protection and reforestation programmes. You can join them in acting on climate change by offsetting your flight here, making your journey carbon neutral.

Dublin Airport our largest airport in Ireland has achieved a status of Carbon Neutrality from Airport Carbon Accreditation of the ACI (Airport Council International). Awarded by the global Airport Carbon Accreditation programme for 2019 to recognise that carbon emissions were reduced by -25% from 2013 to 2019, while passenger numbers grew +63% during the same period. Other regional airports in Ireland are working towards this also.

A sustainable hotel doesn’t mean the property skimps on luxuries. Before you book your next trip, consider how your stay effects the local ecosystem. We have compiled a handy list of hotels in Galway who have a 3rd party accreditation. See list here

When you holiday or visit a destination its always great to support a small or local business. Buy local crafts as gifts, try local culinary and brewed delights that have very low carbon impact. Also when planning your activities consider low-impact hiking, and biking itineraries, which strike the perfect balance of exploration and immersion. We have many greenways around Ireland and Galway where you can walk or cycle taking you deep into our countryside, small villages and wide-open spaces. But best of all, the environmental impact of a bike is zero.”

The world is producing twice as much plastic waste as two decades ago, with the bulk of it ending up in landfill, incinerated or leaking into the environment, and only 9% successfully recycled, according to a new OECD report.

Reducing plastic while travelling is critical. In Ireland we have a plastic bag levy so when you shop use a long-life bag. Check out your accommodation has it got rid of all single use plastic items? Bring a reusable water bottle and refill at your accommodation or in a restaurant throughout the day our water is safe to drink here. We want to avoid plastic ending up in nature and our rivers and oceans.

Long, steamy showers are the perfect way to scrub off a long day of travel, but the staggering amount of both energy and water used by travelers negatively impacts locals much more than most travelers realize. “Two billion people around the world don’t have clean running water,” says Nicolas Douillet of the United Nations Development Programme in Europe and Central Asia. “Turning off the tap when you brush your teeth, reusing towels, and taking short showers isn’t just our moral imperative, it’s pure common sense.” If you stay at a hotel that has a 3rd party accreditation water conservation is one of their top priorities so you can rest assured they have measures in place to help reduce water waste.

By considering and implementing some of our tips you will be helping to leave a place better than you found it, focus your attention on five basic elements of food, energy, water, waste, and ecology. When you visit a beach take your rubbish back to your accommodation, or pick up any rubbish you may find, use reusable water bottles, coffee cups. If your hotel serves a buffet breakfast only take what you think you will eat you can always go for seconds. Food waste is one of the biggest challenges in western countries.