A travel writer says people should give up flying in the name of sustainability, but admits this is hypocritical.
Manchán Magan was speaking as tourism agencies, organisations and interest groups meet to examine the success of tourism cooperation on the island of Ireland.
It's part of a Shared Island Dialogue around tourism, which is taking place on Thursday.
Speaking in advance of the event, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said: "The tourism sector is already a shining example of what can be achieved when we work together on this island, with a shared purpose and for clear mutual benefit.
"Our task is to work in partnership for the full recovery of the tourism sector, North and South, not least by growing sustainable, on-island tourism, which is part of how we can better share the island.
"We will continue to champion and support the growth of sustainable tourism across the island in the years ahead."
Manchán told Newstalk Breakfast giving up flying is easier said than done.
"There's so many issues with an element of sustainability - but it does seem to be that the big issue in terms of travel is flying."
He says this is down to the "amount of carbon that's released by flying - and fact that those airplanes happen to be high up, close to the stratosphere, releasing nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide into the upper atmosphere.
"At the moment, flying isn't the biggest carbon emitter... it's about 2.5% of global carbon.
"The UN says that flying is going to either triple by 2050 or at least double, so it does seem to be the big issue".
'I'll just report about trains'
Asked if his no-fly request was unfair to people who don't fly often, he admits to being hypocritical.
"It's definitely hypocritical - I've flown everywhere, I've made my living from flying... I never thought I was going to be saying these things.
"2019 seemed to be a real wake-up call, that was the year a lot these UN reports came out about how bad everything was - and that was the year [of] Extinction Rebellion.
"And that was the first time I thought 'I'm a travel journalist I'm actually promoting travel'.
"I began to question that".
But he says no one was interested in a travel writer who doesn't fly.
"I got on to the editors who I worked with... and said 'Tell you what: I'm going to be a flightless travel journalist - I'll just report about trains for you'.
"But none of them were interested.
"Early 2020 was when I announced that I was giving up for holidays and for travel journalism.
"That I might still fly for work if I was to go into a book tour or something in America".
