Twenty tourism and environment initiative projects have been allocated £2.5 million in State funding by the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Education, Dr McDaid.
In a move to enhance the country's "green image", develop new amenities and protect the environment from damage caused by excessive traffic, Dr McDaid has funded a wide range of studies and initiatives.
Visitor and traffic management schemes for the overcrowded "tourist traps" of Glendalough, the Burren, the Aran Islands, Clifden, Blarney, the Ring of Kerry and Bundoran will be grant-aided to the tune of £1.2 million.
Funds have also been made available to develop hill walking in Connemara and Donegal, while the Heritage Council has been commissioned to develop walking routes to ancient pilgrim sites.
A development strategy is to be devised for Dundalk Bay, while the heritage towns of Roscrea, Birr and Tullamore will be developed as a tourism resource.
Anti-litter projects have been approved in Waterford and Tipperary; Coillte has been encouraged to develop coniferous plantations as a visitor resource; and Teagasc has been awarded £55,000 to build an "Eco-Cottage" in south Tipperary.
Commenting on the awards last night, the Minister said the projects would serve to demonstrate how particular problems affecting tourism and the environment might be dealt with. The intention was to encourage projects that would support tourism development, while sustaining the environment.
Dr McDaid said the dramatic growth of tourism during the past decade and the further growth expected demanded that people think seriously about how they could reconcile this expansion with the needs of the environment.