Coastal Programmes Manager, Annabel Fitzgerald, will be speaking at this year’s Responsible Tourism in Destinations Conference on 11th March in Dublin. See http://ow.ly/JwdKF for tickets and more details.

Responsible Tourism in Destinations

Conference theme: Achieving Change through Responsible Tourism

• Following the success of our last conference in March 2014 the the 2015 conference will be the next in the international Responsible Tourism in Destinations conference series, giving both conference and speakers a higher international profile.
• We have confirmed many experienced international and national speakers for this full-day conference which will offer fascinating and insightful perspectives.
• This includes ways in which we can help achieve change through responsible tourism in destinations, communities, businesses, visitors and consumers through a responsible tourism approach, including creating competetive marketing advantage, contributing to conservation, destination development, enhancing communities and more.
• The conference will be hosted by the Irish Centre for Responsible Tourism and co-chaired by James Chilton and international responsible tourism expert Professor Harold Goodwin.

Speaker Profile: Annabel FitzGerald, Coastal Programmes Manager, An Tasice

‘Ireland’s Beach Awards & our Clean Coasts’

Annabel FitzGerald is the Coastal Programmes Manager in the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is responsible for the management of the Blue Flag, Green Coast Award and Clean Coasts programmes in Ireland. Annabel is a member of the international Blue Flag working group developing the Blue Flag criteria for Eco-tourism Boats. She is also working closely with partners on the delivery of the Green Coast Award internationally. Clean Coasts is about engaging communities in the protection of our beaches, seas and marine life. Every year Clean Coasts organises hundreds of cleanups and surveys mobilising thousands of volunteers to remove considerable quantities of marine litter from our environment. Annabel has developed a suite of community engagement initiatives that has led to the expansion of the Clean Coasts programme, including; Clean Waves, Clean Coasts Week, the Big Beach Clean weekend, Love Your Coast Photography Competition, Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Awards, Clean Coasts Road Show, #2MinuteStreetClean, the Clean Coasts Corporate Volunteering Programme and the Clean Coasts Ambassador Programme. Clean Coasts has also joined international campaigns such as Beat the Microbead and #2MinuteBeachClean.www.cleancoasts.org @BellesFitz

Who will speaking at this event?

• Manda Brookman – Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project – CoaST, UK
• Siobhán Burke – Living the Sheep’s Head Way, Co. Cork
• Martin Carey – Mourne Heritage Trust
• Bernadette Connaghan – Mulranny Hotel, Co. Mayo
• Chris Corlett – Department of Arts Heritage & Gaeltacht
• Silva Dorang – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
• Annabel Fitzgerald – Coastal Programmes Manager, An Taisce, Dublin
• Xavier Font – Leeds Metropolitan University, International Centre for Responsible Tourism, UK
• Rina Garret – Erris Tourism/Erris Beo, Co. Mayo
• Eugene Garrihy – Dublin Bay Cruises/Doolin Ferry, Co. Clare & Dublin
• Roisin Ni Ghairbhith – Green Schools Travel Officer, Co. Clare
• Carol Gleeson – Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark, Co. Clare
  
• Professor Harold Goodwin – Manchester Metropolitan University and International Centre for Responsible Tourism, UK
• Joanna Hayes – Cavan County Tourism Officer (This is Cavan!), Co. Cavan
• Paddy Mathews – Brand Experience Manager, Failte Ireland, Dublin
• Cillian Murphy – Loop Head Tourism
• Mary Mulvey – Ecotourism Ireland
• Richard Tyler – Sustainable Tourism Manager, Brecon Beacons National Park, UK
• Caroline Warburton – The Scottish Tourism Alliance, Wild Scotland, UK

More information on www.icrt.ie/rtd9