by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:35 AM ET, Mon April 13, 2026
CIE Tours, the operator that specializes in guided travel to Ireland and Great Britain, has been awarded the Gold Certification from Ireland’s Sustainable Tourism Network (STN), the country’s leading sustainability body for tourism businesses.
Gold is the highest level of certification the body awards to tourism businesses, showcasing the highest level of independently verified environmental, community and cultural sustainability practices.
The designation follows a rigorous audit of CIE Tours across all criteria, achieving a 100% score on everything from its supply chain to its Irish operations. The tour operator has been offering trips to Ireland for over 90 years.
“We are incredibly proud to achieve STN Gold, a milestone that reflects a long-standing commitment embedded in CIE Tours’ DNA well before sustainability became an industry focus,” said Stephen Cotter, managing director of CIE Tours. “From supporting family-owned businesses across Ireland to operating year-round and dispersing visitors beyond peak season, our model has consistently been rooted in sustaining the communities we serve. This certification formally recognizes that commitment and strengthens how we measure and advance it going forward.”
CIE’s sustainability strategy includes its Sustainability Action Fund, which funds initiatives like partnering with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions across its supply chain, trialing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil and expanding its use to reduce emissions by around 165 tons, helping suppliers measure their emissions with its partnership with the BeCause.eco platform, supporting ReFarm Project initiatives in Ireland, educating guests on sustainable travel practices and more.
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