Atlantic Technological University hosted a Tourism Observatory in Ireland

Friday, December 22, 2023

Atlantic Technological University hosted the Atlantic Sustainable Tourism Observatory in Ireland. As a result, it was admitted as the newest member of the INSTO under the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The INSTO is a network relating to tourism observatories. INSTO is useful for tracking the effects of tourism at the destination level on the environment, the economy, and society. 

At the 2023 Global Meeting of INSTO, which was recently held at the UNWTO Headquarters in Madrid, this was announced.

The initiative undertaken by INSTO aligns with UNWTO’s commitment to forging and building resilient and sustainable growth in the tourism sector. Alongside this, the strict practice of monitoring and robust measurement of the same also helps in doing the same. 

Ireland’s first INSTO observatory is called the Atlantic Sustainable Tourism Observatory. This will aim to collaborate intricately with the tourism destinations along Ireland’s islands, Atlantic coasts, as well as heartlands. Fiona McKenna, a PhD candidate, and Dr. James Hanrahan of ATU have worked tirelessly and effortlessly to get the project accepted into INSTO. 

Speaking to the media, Dr. Hanrahan outlined his long-term plans for the observatory. He intends to follow the observatory’s development as it develops into a reliable, transparent, and up-to-date source of data. This will have a significant impact on the development of sustainable tourism in Ireland’s sociocultural, political, and scientific domains. 

In addition to Dr. Hanrahan, PhD candidate Mckenna told the media about data collection and shared her opinions regarding indicator monitoring and measurement. It has provided the destination with information, in her opinion, and now calls for a change to a more sustainable destination. 

Four new members have been accepted into the UNWTO, which notes that the destinations have proven their commitment to sustainable tourism by using transparent, evidence-generating, and participatory methods. These will be deemed essential requirements for INSTO membership. 

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