The man who turned a 200-year-old boutique hotel in rural Ireland into one of the most decorated in Europe for environmental performance and management will be among the international line up of conference speakers at the second edition of World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi. Joseph Dolan, the independent owner and manager of the 60 bedroom Bush Hotel at Carrick on Shannon, will outline how he established the former staging coach inn as the first hotel in Ireland and the UK to achieve the coveted European Ecolabel Award…
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Joseph Dolan, the independent owner and manager of the 60 bedroom Bush Hotel at Carrick on Shannon, will outline how he established the former staging coach inn as the first hotel in Ireland and the UK to achieve the coveted European Ecolabel Award for Tourism Accommodation. The award recognises exceptional environmental management, performance and awareness.
The Bush Hotel last year earned one of Ireland’s top ‘green’ hotel awards and received the Communication Award for Ecolabel Tourism Accommodations throughout the European Union for its innovative environmental awareness programme.
Dolan, whose family acquired the hotel in 1992, is looking forward to presenting his award-winning case study to regional hospitality leaders, tour operators, government and NGO representatives, at the World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi conference, which will run at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from December 5-7.
“Everything we do at the Bush Hotel is about maximising efficiency with existing resources, and doing the simple things very well”, said Dolan, who is a frequent traveller to the GCC. “Although we are only a small hotel, our principles and practices are applicable to even the largest global hotel chains and can be easily facilitated in the Middle East”.
Dolan’s efforts to protect the environment are based on minimising waste output, energy use, potential pollution and the impact of all other hotel activities, and maximising its reusable and recyclable waste. It recycles or reuses around 92% of its waste by weight, and encourages employees and customers to recycle their waste through the hotel.
Initiatives undertaken include the installation of hundreds of low energy bulbs which provide 97% of the hotel’s lighting, and steps to ensure all deliveries come in returnable and reusable plastic crates, with suppliers removing all excess packaging.
Educated at Galway University, Dolan has worked in project management in Europe and the Middle East. He is involved in many regional and national business and tourism organisations, advisory bodies and consultancy. He is currently National Vice President of the Irish Hotels Federation, a regional Director of the Irish Tourist Board and Chairperson of his County Tourism Association.
“Joe is a powerful addition to the World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi line-up giving the Gulf’s hospitality industry the chance to learn first-hand from a proven and credible pioneer. We anticipate his case study with nothing less than genuine interest and excitement,” said Dayne Lim, Product Development Director, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which is supporting the event, as is the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
According to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), the sustainable tourism market could grow to 25 per cent of the world’s travel market within six years, taking the sector’s annual value to US$473.6 billion.
Sustaining Tourism, a Canadian based consulting firm that has conducted several studies on sustainable tourism, has found that tourists are becoming increasingly aware of responsible tourism practices and demanding that destinations don’t harm or degrade, but enhance the environments in which they operate.
A study commissioned last year by the company revealed that 44 per cent of US and European travellers would prefer a sustainable holiday experience if given the option. The same percentage also said they have a better image of companies that actively invest in environmental and social initiatives.
World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi is the first commercial conference and exhibition specifically for the sustainable tourism sector. The event has the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, ADTA’s Chairman.
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