14th November 2025
In line with the Programme for Government’s commitment to supporting communities, ecosystems, and businesses in the face of rising climate risks, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has today published a Tourism Sectoral Adaptation Plan 2025-2030.
Ireland has recently experienced a number of high-profile extreme weather events that have underscored the need for effective climate adaptation measures to build resilience to the impacts of climate change.
This marks Ireland’s first Sectoral Adaptation Plan dedicated to the Tourism Sector. It seeks to identify both the challenges and opportunities presented by a changing climate, with the aim of maintaining Ireland’s appeal to holidaymakers and supporting resilient communities through employment and economic growth.
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said:
“I am pleased to publish the Tourism Sectoral Adaptation Plan, which is required under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. In economic terms, tourism remains hugely important and provides a significant contribution to the Irish Exchequer. I want to see the sector continue to thrive in the years ahead. To achieve this, it is critical that we prepare for the implications of climate change, including exploring new opportunities that may arise for Irish tourism.”
Implementation of Ireland’s first Tourism Sectoral Adaptation Plan prioritise reducing the consequences for the sector of the climate related hazards identified by the National Climate Change Risk Assessment. The Plan sets out three goals for the next five years:
Goal 1: Increase the tourism sector’s understanding of the relationship between climatic variables and the tourism sector in Ireland, to improve the ability to address the impacts of climate change on the sector
Goal 2: Build a shared awareness of climate change and its impacts, and necessary steps to develop resilience across the tourism sector in Ireland, particularly amongst tourism-dependent communities
Goal 3: Build resilience to reduce the consequences of the most significant climate risks faced by the tourism sector.
The Plan contains a number of actions to achieve the goals which will be overseen by the Department or the tourism agencies.
The development of the Tourism Sectoral Adaptation Plan has been guided by the Government’s National Adaptation Framework, which sets out the objective of transitioning to a climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Evident impacts of climate change:
The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly more evident with severe damage observed during Storms Bert and Darragh in late 2024, Storm Éowyn in January 2025, and Storm Amy in October. Attribution studies are showing that climate change is adding significantly to the strength of the extreme events that we are experiencing in Ireland.
Recent findings by Met Éireann:
Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, with warmer offshore waters and increased levels of moisture in the atmosphere exacerbating storms. Irish rainfall patterns are expected to further change, with an increase in both dry periods and heavy rainfall events. There is high confidence that maximum rainfall rates will increase due to the warmer atmosphere carrying more moisture. Overall, Ireland is expected to continue to get warmer and wetter into the future. The impacts to Ireland’s population, infrastructure, economy, and agriculture at varying degrees of global warming are explored further as part of Met Éireann’s TRANSLATE Programme. Adapting to this new reality and building resilience to the impacts of climate change is critical.
Government response:
The Government is committed to protecting Ireland’s present and future generations by investing in climate adaptation measures to manage the impacts of extreme weather events. There is a need to support communities, ecosystems, and businesses as climate risks continue to rise. Insufficient climate change adaptation measures and a lack of climate change resilience undermine competitiveness and economic growth. Successful adaptation will support competitiveness and economic growth.
Requirement for SAPs under the NAF:
The Climate and Low Carbon Development Acts 2015-2021 (the Climate Act) require that Ireland prepares a National Adaptation Framework (NAF) to set out the potential implications of climate change for Ireland and outline the national strategy for the development of adaptation measures.
Last year the Government approved Ireland’s second NAF. The NAF establishes a set of key principles to be used when planning for and implementing adaptation actions aimed at reducing vulnerabilities, enhancing resilience, and safeguarding communities, sectors, regions, ecosystems, and economies against the adverse impacts of climate change. The NAF recognises the importance of continually strengthening the national adaptation response in line with developments made in assessing risk, new research, and reducing impacts over time across key sectors.
In June 2025 the EPA published Ireland’s first National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA), a key deliverable under the NAF. The NCCRA is a significant piece of work that will support our understanding of the risks of climate change and will help the Government to prioritise action and direct resources to counter the risks that are most urgent now and into the future. The NCCRA supported the development of the SAPs. DCEE led on the National coordination of sectoral adaptation actions so that cross-cutting issues are identified and addressed.
What the SAPs are and what they will do:
The SAPs set out what effective adaptation actions and measures will be taken over the next few years and outline adaptation objectives over the longer term to ensure that Ireland’s society, infrastructure, economy, and competitiveness are resilient to the impacts of climate change.
The 13 SAPs are:
- Agriculture, Forestry and Seafood; DAFM
- Biodiversity; DHLGH
- Electricity and Gas Networks; DCEE
- Flood Risk Management; OPW
- Water Quality and Water Services Infrastructure; DHLGH
- Health; D/Health
- Built and Archaeological Heritage; DHLGH
- Transport infrastructure; D/Transport
- Communications Networks; Department of Culture, Communications and Sport
- Tourism; Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment
All sectoral adaptation plans utilised the results of the NCCRA and followed sectoral adaptation planning guidelines published in August 2024 to ensure a consistent approach. Sectors undertook a sectoral risk assessment, prioritised actions, and considered cross-cutting impacts.
Implementation:
With the SAPs recently published, sectors have now entered the implementation phase of the sectoral adaptation planning cycle.
ENDS
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