A big plan's being drawn up to entice tourists to the 'cruising paradise' of the Shannon
The project is part of the new Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands marketing brand.
A MAJOR TOURISM master plan will be drawn up for the River Shannon region as part of the rollout of the new Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands brand.
State agency Waterways Ireland, in partnership with the national tourism development agency, has issued the tender for a project manager to work out how businesses in the area can best leverage the region’s assets and attract more holidaymakers.
In the tender document, Waterways Ireland noted that the Shannon river is the longest in Britain and Ireland at 360 km.
“It is a cruising paradise, with mooring boating and on-shore facilities at multiple locations along its length … The river also boasts world-class angling, playing host annually to many local and international fishing competitions,” it said.
The agency said that ‘activity tourism’ has become increasingly popular in recent years. Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, which was launched in April of this year, is marketed as a destination where visitors can partake in outdoor activities like boat trips and hikes.
The Shannon region and the Beara-Breifne Way – a hiking trail that encompasses several counties, from Cork to Cavan – together form the spine of the new brand. A separate tender will be issued to develop a master plan for the Beara-Breifne Way.
Tourism strengths
The plan for the Shannon commissioned by Waterways Ireland and Fáilte Ireland will “consider the tourism strengths” of the region and “formulate a structured and collaborative plan, by which the key stakeholders can maximise tourism potential”.
The winning bidder will be tasked with coming up with themes that businesses in the region can leverage.
They will also be required to make recommendations on other “influencing factors that will stimulate a varied product offering and quality experience”, which could include recommended changes to bye-laws or tax-friendly schemes to encourage private investment in infrastructure.
In an interview with Fora, the recently appointed head of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Paddy Mathews, said that there is an “experience deficit” in the region but said the “raw material is there”.
“The assets are all there. We’ve got the longest river in Britain and Ireland in the River Shannon. We’ve the longest way-marked way in the form of the Beara-Breifne Way,” he said.
“But the experiences on it and the way in which the visitor can engage and the number of businesses leveraging those assets needs significant improvement.”
