THE BURREN in Co. Clare has been named one of the best places to travel to next year by Lonely Planet.
The global travel company unveiled its Best in Travel 2021 list on Tuesday and - not for the first time - an Irish beauty spot has received a mention.
Usually, the company focuses on locations of unimaginable beauty. Hidden corners of the globe where every inch resembles paradise of some kind.
But this year they've switched their focus to "highlight more local and diverse voices" and have instead listed the top spots around the world "demonstrating a genuine commitment to sustainability, community and diversity".
The Burren Ecotourism Network has been named among ten winners of their 'Best Community Tourism Project' category for its efforts in eco-tourism.
The Bureen itself is a area of glaciated limestone which appears almost desolate and lifeless to the naked eye, completely dissimilar to the landscape in the rest of Ireland.
The name translates from Irish as "great rock".
Limestone landscape of the Burren in Clare on the west of Ireland.Lonely Planet describes the project as "an impressive community collaboration of local enterprises which has transformed Ireland's Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark into a global leader for sustainable tourism."
The project is designed to promote "slow tourism," which in effect encourages local engagement and responsibility in order to establish a sustainable future for natural areas.
All operators in the area subscribe to the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark 'Code of Substantial Practice' - an online platform that measures waste output, water consumption and energy usage and encourages businesses to make reductions in these areas.
It's the only code of practice of its kind in Ireland.
See the full list here.
