The Gleneagle Group have won a prestigious gold award at the 2016 Irish Responsible Tourism Awards.
The Killarney based hotel group scooped the award in the Best Accessible and Inclusive Tourism category at the awards ceremony which took place in Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Dublin last week. The Irish Responsible Tourism Awards are designed to celebrate those making a difference in Ireland and using tourism to benefit local communities, economies and the environment. The awards are linked to the World Responsible Tourism Awards, and the winners of each of the categories have now qualified for the world awards.
“We are currently rolling out a detailed accessibility plan and working towards creating a welcoming environment for all,” said Patrick O’Donoghue, Managing Director of The Gleneagle Group. “This award is a credit to the accessibility team here and their hard work and accomplishments to date. Our accessibility plan is very much a work in progress and we are fully committed to it.”
The awards attracted entries from almost every county in Ireland. The winners were announced following assessment by a panel of industry experts chaired by international responsible tourism expert, Professor Harold Goodwin. The judging panel also included; Assistant General in the Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport Ken Spratt, Tourism Ireland’s Central Marketing Director Mark Henry, DIT Tourism Lecturer Dr. Kevin Griffin, Cyril McAree Managing Director of Hotel & Restaurant Times, travel-writer Catherine Mack and Paddy Matthews Head of Investment & Innovation at Fáilte Ireland.
Director of the ICRT (Irish Centre for Responsible Tourism) James Chilton said: “Responsible travel is about having fun while also giving back. It aims to reduce its impacts while maximising its benefits.”