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• Sustainable Irish trade – International buyers were introduced to Irish trade participating in Fáilte Ireland’ s Climate Action Programme, a subsidised initiative that helps businesses reduce costs, improve efficiency, and reduce their environmental impact.
• Local food sourcing and waste reduction – During Meitheal a strong emphasis was placed on food sourcing from Kerry and as a result delegates enjoyed food that was 75 % locally produced. This year, delegates also pre-ordered food choices with an aim of reducing food wastage.
• Sustainable venues – Venues used at Meitheal including The Europe Hotel, The Brehon Hotel and The Gleneagle Hotel are committed to sustainable event practices.
• Familiarisation trips – For buyers participating in Meitheal, health, wellbeing and sustainability were incorporated into the design of all
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Familiarisation Trip, Desmond Castle, County Limerick
familiarisation trips itineraries, with outdoor elements and walking being promoted to boost buyer wellbeing.
• Low-waste, high-impact event design – Delegates were encouraged to bring their own water bottles and use the water refill stations on site to reduce single use plastic, there was a dedicated Fáilte Ireland Climate Action Stand, and paper and merchandise were reduced.
Social sustainability in focus Meitheal 2025 went beyond environmental sustainability by focusing on the social impact of the event.
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Left: Climate Action Stand, INEC Arena, County Kerry
Left: Student sustainability and inclusivity workshop, the Brehon Hotel
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Students from Killarney Community College were invited to take part in interactive sessions including a behindthe-scenes sustainability tour and a workshop on sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity at business events.
The diverse career pathways in the tourism sector were highlighted, and insights were captured from a younger, more neurodiverse-aware audience. Using an AI transcription app and reusable whiteboards, the experience was both educational and environmentally friendly – reinforcing the idea that sustainable tourism must also be socially inclusive and future-focused.
A benchmark for global events As part of their commitment to sustainability, Fáilte Ireland partnered with EarthCheck, the leading scientific benchmarking and advisory group for sustainable travel and tourism, to complete the EventCheck process for Meitheal. The EventCheck process is a sustainability verification toolkit that helps event organisers enhance social, environmental and economic impact management, ensuring that events maintain high sustainability standards and support responsible tourism.
Both buyers and industry were engaged in the shared mission of reducing the carbon footprint of Meitheal. By utilising an events carbon calculator, the carbon footprint per delegate was measured across food, travel and accommodation, aiming for year-on-year improvements.
By weaving sustainability into every layer of Meitheal, Fáilte Ireland is not only transforming how tourism events are run – it’ s setting a benchmark. As the climate crisis challenges destinations worldwide, Ireland is leading with a simple yet powerful message: sustainability is not an add-on, it’ s the future of tourism. n
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