Ambitious new tourism strategy for mayo unveiled
AN ambitious new tourism strategy for Mayo aims to grow visitor numbers and revenue, creating 1,000 jobs in the sector long-term.
Flagship projects include the Keem Signature Point, extending the county’s greenways to Killala, Louisburgh, in Achill and Belmullet, and connecting them to attractions, and developing a mountain bike trail.
The provision of beach and greenway facilities such as toilets is identified, including an upgrade of the toilets at Croagh Patrick. A spiritual trail, focusing not only on religion but also wellbeing and health, is part of the Destination Mayo Tourism Strategy 2015-2020.
Other innovative ideas include collaborating with Inland Fisheries Ireland to develop centres of excellence for the Great Lakes of Mayo, as well as working with Coillte to develop the walled garden at Moore Hall.
The tourism strategy is still at draft stage and proposals in it were discussed at a meeting of Mayo County Council’s tourism and food strategic policy committee held at Ireland West Airport Knock.
The draft was endorsed by the committee and will now come before a full meeting of Mayo County Council in March.
Senior engineer Padraig Philbin explained to the meeting how Mayo is the seventh most visited county in Ireland, with 245,000 overseas visitors contributing €67 million annually. The number of domestic visitors is similar.
Mayo is enjoying a rise in adventure/activity tourism and a key factor for visitors is to meet people and ‘make a memory’. Potential for the county lies with the ‘great escapers’, who want to get away from it all, and the ‘culturally curious’.
Opportunities exist in the adventure sector, food tourism, festivals (there are plans to double the number taking place), niche markets such as nature (the meeting heard there are two million birdwatchers in the UK alone), and opening up disused sections of the railway line in east Mayo.
Mr. Philbin said the target is to create 350 new jobs in the tourism sector in the short-term and 1,000 long-term.
The unique selling point that is the Irish language was highlighted by Councillors Gerry Coyle and Thérése Ruane, who said it should be incorporated into the strategy as part of the Mayo brand.
Councillor Ruane also commented on the importance of public transport and having inter-connectivity. Issues remained to be resolved such as carrying bikes on public transport.
Eco labelling was another area identified by committee member Michael Lennon, who said it is particularly relevant for the Nordic, German and Swiss markets.