AN innovative approach to establishing County Clare as a welcoming visitor destination has picked up one of the top prizes at the annual LAMA Community and Council Awards 2014, in association with IPB Insurance.
The Clare Tourism Forum ‘Clare says Céad Míle Fáilte’ campaign, which was nominated by Clare County Council, beat off competition from seven other shortlisted entries to win this year’s Best Tourism Initiative Award.
Launched in early 2013, 152 tourism providers have signed up to the initiative which sees workers on the frontline of the hospitality sector undergo specific training to assist them in engaging better with visitors and welcoming them to the County.
Mayor of Clare Councillor Joe Arkins welcomed the announcement, adding that it was a further sign that the Clare tourism sector collaborative approach to promoting the County as an attractive and welcoming destination.
“For almost a decade the Clare Tourism Forum has been working closely with Clare’s tourism trade to market and promote the County as a quality tourism destination. Quality customer care is critically important to the overall success of the local tourism sector and I am delighted that the Céad Míle Fáilte campaign has received national recognition and in doing so, thereby has set County Clare apart as a welcoming, visitor-friendly destination,” he said.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.