A new shade of green for travellers on the Emerald Isle
ecoescape: the handbook to responsible escapism
A new shade of green for travellers on the Emerald Isle
ecoescape: Ireland by Catherine Mack, published May 2008 the handbook to responsible escapism slow travel • green places to stay • local food and drink • eco days out
“Here is proof that green is no longer extreme.”
Richard Hammond, the Guardian's eco travel correspondent ecoescape: Ireland is a new handbook to green travel in Ireland. Written by Irish travel writer, Catherine Mack, this new guide follows the recent successful launch of ecoescape: UK. In this groundbreaking book, Catherine gives a personal insight into her top 50 ecoescapes around the country which she has visited over the last six months. Full of practical details, including a Slow Travel Toolkit, ecoescape: Ireland helpstravellers find ways to responsible escapism closer to home, and provides international visitors greeneroptions for their travels around Ireland, both North and South.
Eco-travel begins at home. Which is why ecoescape promotes travel in the UK and Ireland. Here tourism businesses, including hotels and attractions, are cutting emissions, sourcing locally, generating their own energy, moving off-grid and encouraging travellers and visitors to do the same. Through the books and ecoescape’s website at www.ecoescape.org, ecoescape provides a platform for Irish businesses to shout about what they do and to connect ecoescapers to the changes that are making the world a greener place. ecoescape: Ireland offers insight into the people behind the green businesses. “I wanted to make a guidebook to share the stories of great people who are, quite simply, trying to make a difference,” says author Catherine Mack. “They are striving to make a living out of Irish tourism, but taking responsibility for the impact it might have locally.” ecoescape promotes slow travel. This involves using our cars less and avoiding flying. Instead we take the train, the bus or the boat and use our bikes and our legs more. Each ecoescape book includes a Slow Travel Toolkit which shows the reader how to enjoy travelling slowly and,in the process, discover a new way of taking a holiday. The author travelled slowly and has included details of her cycle, bus and rail routes so readers can do the same. There are also practical tips on how to travel sustainably to Ireland from the UK using the ferry
.
As ecoescape: Ireland covers the island of Ireland, North and South, it also explores the concept of crossborder tourism in a country that has, in the past, been divided by conflict. Catherine Mack explains, “If you are visiting Ireland, you will quickly discover that natural beauty such as the Mourne Mountain range does not stop at the border.” ecoescape: Ireland – published May 2008, price £8.99
.
• ecoescape: Ireland is a 192-page, full-colour travel guide to the greenest places to escape to in Ireland.
• Each of the featured fifty ecoescapes includes the author’s personal review, inspiring photography and full contact details, plus advice on how to get there slowly.
• There is also a comprehensive directory that covers places to stay, visit and eat, so wherever you go in Ireland, an ecoescape is never far away.
• ecoescape: Ireland was printed in the UK using FSC certified paper and eco-friendly inks.
• ecoescape: Ireland is the second title in a new series of travel guides that celebrate escapism and holidays that are closer to home.
• This new edition and the editions to follow build on the considerable success of the first edition published in 2007 by Laura Burgess. Her ongoing research, and that of her team, will continue to expand the coverage of eco-tourism in the UK and beyond.
www.ecoescape.org
The website offers news, stories and travellers tips as well as an online directory of environmentally friendly places to stay and visit. It’s also a meeting place for green travellers to raise awareness of sustainable travel in the UK and promote responsible escapism globally. Here travellers are encouraged to share their stories of green travel.
Contact
For further information email media@greenguide.co.uk, call 01945 461 452 or see www.greenguide.co.uk
To contact Laura Burgess, founder of ecoescape, email laura@ecoescape.org.ecoescape: United Kingdom written by Laura Burgess published March 28th 2008, price £8.99, ISBN 978- 1-905731-40-4. ecoescape: Ireland written by Catherine Mack and edited by Laura Burgess is published May 28th 2008, price £8.99, ISBN 978-1-905731-29-9. Both Laura and Catherine are available for interview. A press kit is available including more on slow travel and what ecoescape is all about plus sample pages and images. The full PDF and print copies of ecoescape: Ireland are available for review on request.
Editor’s Notes
1. Ecoescape is published under the Green Guide imprint, by Markham Publishing. The Green Guide is the directory for planet-friendly living – see www.greenguide.co.uk – and is the UK’s most comprehensive database of eco-friendly, green and natural products, services and organisations. It was first published in 1994.
2. ecoescapes are available in bookstores, selected organic & wholefood stores and specialist retailers across the UK. They can be purchased direct from the publisher’s website at www.greenguide.co.uk. Details of forthcoming titles in the series are also available online.
3. The books are distributed by Vine House Distribution Ltd, The Old Mill House, Mill Lane, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5AA. Tel: 01825 767 396 or email sales@vinehouseuk.co.uk
4. A limited number of copies are available for competitions and give-aways – please contact media@greenguide.co.uk for further information.
5. Catherine Mack is a freelance writer specialising in responsible tourism. Her work regularly appears in the Observer, Metro, Daily Telegraph, the Irish Sunday Tribune, Irish Times and various other publications and websites. Catherine recently graduated with a Masters degree in Responsible Tourism Management from University of Greenwich, London, gaining a distinction for her research on Travel Print Media and Responsible Tourism. Catherine writes about the issues of ‘green’ travel, as well as destinations practising genuine responsible tourism policies. Catherine was born in Ireland and now lives in London with her two young sons.
6. Inclusion in ecoescape: None of the businesses have paid to be included in the book. Nor do we get paid commission for any holiday booked using ecoescape. Our editorial decisions are kept independent from commercial ones. Although many of the businesses have received formal awards for their green initiatives,ecoescape has another set of requirements which are difficult to measure.
We look for businesses that demonstrate that along with fulfilling the criteria set by green accreditation schemes and government initiatives,they offer innovative ways of involving their customers in the travel experience. The business owners need to offer guests an insight into the local communities that sustain them through their supplies of energy, food, drink, local crafts and expertise. We include ecoawards such as the green leaf of the Green Tourism Business Scheme as an additional guiding point for readers.
An ecoescape is about what the destination offers as an experience and a way to get ‘off-grid’. In other words the business has to add to the stock of stories about responsible escapism. The ecoescape suggestions in the guides therefore contribute to a storybook of how the owners think travel is possible whilst also paying respect to the natural environment in which they live and welcome others to stay.