Tourism prospects good for 2013 – Fáilte Ireland

Tourism prospects good for 2013


Áine Ryan
aineryan@mayonews.ie

TOURISM prospects for 2013 are the best since the Celtic Tiger economic crash of 2007, according to FΡilte Ireland. However, strategic and innovative changes will need to be made to optimise the potential number of visitors from our nearest neighbour, the UK. That is what the agency’s Chief Executive, Shaun Quinn told tourism leaders last week at a briefing in Breaffy House Resort, Castlebar.
Mr Quinn also said The Gathering 2013 would inject new energy into the industry but warned that ‘the local tourism industry needs to put its best foot forward in 2013 and provide those who have come to ‘gather’ with an unparalleled visitor experience and great value which will encourage visitors to recommend the West as a premier destination and return again and again to the region’.
Speaking about tourism in Mayo, Ms Fiona Monaghan, of FΡilte Ireland West said ‘a key focus for the region in 2013 will be the further development and promotion of the local culture and heritage product’.
She observed that recent capital investment now meant that Mayo ‘has the makings of a world class centre for the interpretation and presentation of Ireland’s history’. Ms Monaghan cited the recent opening of the Jackie Clarke Library and garden in Ballina as a primary example. She also noted the approval of a €920,000 grant by FΡilte Ireland for the redevelopment of Westport Town Hall, where works are scheduled to start later this year.
“With 114 local Mayo events already organised, The Gathering has immense potential for the West and should be a big boost to the region in 2013. We will also spend the next year working on improving our appeal in Britain and working with individual tourism businesses to help them sell more business in our other overseas markets, particularly Europe and North America,” Fiona Monaghan said.
She stressed that the ‘the growing importance of technology’ had led to ‘a major new initiative on e-business and social media with a particular emphasis on enabling individual firms to exploit digital channels for sales’.
She also detailed progress on the proposed Wild Atlantic Way and the Croagh Patrick spur of the Great Western Greenway and confirmed that the Castlebar link to the Greenway was currently at the planning permission stage.

HAVE YOUR SAY email aineryan@mayonews.ie with your comments