Ecotourism Activities in the Burren

Here at Aloha Surf School we aim to provide Surfing and Sea Kayaking experiences in a professional, accessible and sustainable manner, minimising as much as possible our footprint on our local environment.

We live, work and play outdoors. Everything we do depends on the natural playground around us and as such we have particular interest to strive as much as possible to minimise any impact that we might have.

Earlier this year we embarked on training as part of a certification process by Ecotourism Ireland (www.ecotourismireland.ie) and are just nearing completion of this process. The Ecotourism Ireland label makes it easier for visitors to find high quality experiences and guarantees a high quality delivery of the services. It encourages proactive nature conservation and the promotion of local cultural values, while at the same time developing local economies and the long term viability of ecotourism destinations.

As part of this process we also became a member of the Burren Ecotourism Network, which is a group of likeminded buisinesss here in the Burren, all opertating to the same standards. More information on BEN and it's members can be found at www.burrenecotourism.com

We are also on the Education Committee of BurrenBeo who are Irelands first landscape charity who promote and support the sustainable management and use of this unique landscape and heritage in an accessable, inclusive and effective manner.

Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles.

- Minimise impact

- Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect

- Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts

- Provide direct financial benefits for conservation

- Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental and social climate.

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) (www.ecotourism.org) defines Ecotourism as "Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people"

With this in mind we have a number of guidelines along which our business is run in order that we can be as environmentally and socially responsable as possible.

Our Ecotoursim documentation and policies can be found on the links below at the bottom of the page. These show clearly our procedures and plans, what we are currently doing and what we intend to do. We are aware that there is more we can do and will continue trying. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve we would love to hear from you.

So how can you make a difference?

Below we have links to various websites with information on responsible travel, conservation and ecotourism.