Locals play their part to grow tourism on the Inishowen peninsula

Local tourism businesses, tourism and community group members, as well as all other interested parties and individuals are this week taking part in a series of Fáilte Ireland workshops to pull together stories, ideas, and opportunities that could be used to boost tourism in the area.  

The findings from the workshops will feed into a Visitor Experience Development Plan - the aim of which is to improve the range and quality of experiences available to our visitors and ultimately enable continued growth in visitor numbers, dwell time and spend, helping to extend the tourism season and spread business across all parts of the Inishowen peninsula.

The workshops are taking place in four locations; Buncrana, Ballyliffin, Carndonagh and Redcastle from January 27-30.

Joan Crawford, Wild Atlantic Way Manager at Fáilte Ireland explains: “Local consultation and input is essential if we are going to produce a plan that works for the visitor and for the local economy. We are delighted to welcome everyone to these workshops to share their knowledge and ideas.”

The development of the plan will be assisted by external experts appointed by Fáilte Ireland who will bring the benefit of their international experience to the process.

These experts will explore the region, meeting those in the local communities and sampling the experiences on offer for visitors to formulate a plan that will help the Inishowen peninsula stand out as a destination on the Wild Atlantic Way.

The deliberations will also involve key stakeholders including the local authorities and the widest possible range of local tourism stakeholders.

The Visitor Experience Development Plan forms part of a bigger process that is seeking to increase visitor numbers on the Wild Atlantic Way with a particular focus on increasing the time and money they spend in areas that have capacity for growth.

Similar plans have been developed successfully for the Skellig Coast and the Connemara Coast and Aran islands.

Anyone who cannot not attend a workshop but would like to contribute to the discussion can also submit their ideas to David Leonard, David.Leonard@failteireland.ie or phone 086-0266448.

PHOTOS: Clive Wasson