Get to know the Speakers

Mary Mulvey

Mary Mulvey has a long history in Community & Heritage Tourism since the early 1990s. She  was responsible for Ireland’s first Globally recognised Ecotourism Certification Programme in 2012 one first 12 in the World Ecotourism Ireland. She has  worked for Fáilte ireland and English Tourism Board. Mary is  freelance and  works in Sustainability, Destination management and  NGO sectors. She was Lead Consultant in 2019 on Sustainable Tourism Principles for Ireland with Earthcheck for Dept Tourism, Fáilte ireland and Tourism Ireland. She has volunteered for Leave no Trace,  Community Wetlands Forum, Founder Toastmasters Sustainable Speakers Club online and one of 100 Climate Reality Leaders in Ireland. She chaired a  sustainability subcommittee on the Board of Tourism Ireland as a director .

Beth Cobo

Beth Cobo is the founder of Trescàlia, a hiking and nature travel agency.  She is an Environmental educator and guide in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park and a Consultant in sustainable tourism and creation of ecotourism experiences. She was trained in environmental education and official group guide in Natural Parks, with more than 25 years of experience as a guide. Always in accordance with the principles of promoting sustainable tourism, Trescalia becomes the 1st agency accredited with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST) in Spain. Mentor in different European projects of Sustainable Tourism: Destimed+, MedPearls, Eurocluster Rural Tourism, and trainer of trainers in sustainability applied to tourism. She is a member of the Ecotourism Board of Catalonia (Directorate General of Tourism of Catalonia, Generalitat of Catalonia), representing the destination of La Garrotxa and travel agency accredited by ECST. She coordinated the first catalogue of ecotourism experiences at national level, with the Ecotourism Club of Spain.

Orla Carroll

Orla Carroll is Director of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland.  She joined Fáilte Ireland in 2008 after working for over 10 years in the Telecommunications Industry.

As Director of Product Development, Orla has responsibility for leading the development and implementation of strategies which support the sustainable development of tourism to Ireland. Orla has responsibility for the development and implementation of Irelands Tourism Development Investment strategy which strives to stimulate and support innovation in the development of tourism experiences in Ireland that will deliver greater regional and seasonal spread of tourism, while maintaining the competitiveness we already have in mature destinations.

In the development of tourism visitor experiences, it is imperative that we take into full account their current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.