Agency to develop activity tourism

SHANNON Development is to further pursue the potential of activity tourism products, arising from the first of five annual Sky Ride Etape Hibernia Cycles, held in the county last Sunday. SHANNON Development is to further pursue the potential of activity tourism products, arising from the first of five annual Sky Ride Etape Hibernia Cycles, held in the county last Sunday.
1,800 cyclists took to the road in the country’s first closed-road cycle event covering 82 miles along some of the most scenic routes in the county, including the Atlantic coastline and the Burren.
Speaking about the potential of sports tourism events, John King, assistant chief executive of Shannon Development and a participant in the Sky Ride Etape Hibernia, said, “Sports tourism is already worth an estimated €60m annually to the Shannon Region economy. In this context, the Sky Ride Etape Hibernia is a very welcome addition to the region’s growing portfolio of sports tourism events.
“Adventure tourism is a lucrative market for the Irish tourism sector, with activity tourists spending up to 40% more than the average tourist.”
Finbar Brougham, regional manager for County Clare with Shannon Development, who also completed the cycle, said that the future of tourism in Clare is working on what the county has to offer in terms of activity tourism products, incorporating sports, cycling and walking.
“Moving forward, we must focus on organising legacy events, not one-off events. The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia cycle fits right into that. We hope to grow it by year five to 5,000 participants. An event of this scale is a huge boost to the tourism sector. Occupancy rates are up in hotels and B&Bs, restaurants, café and bars do well, as do shops.
“For every person who comes to participate in a sporting event, they usually bring one to two other people with them and they also need to avail of all of these services, so the benefits to local business of offering sporting events is multi-fold,” he commented.
He added, “Tourism is moving more and more towards activity-based stays. Clare was listed in the Lonely Planet recently as one of the top 10 destinations for cycling, so this coupled with the cycle being based here presents us with a real opportunity to grow cycling-related tourism products.
“For many of the cyclists, including many from other parts of Ireland, it was their first time visiting Clare and we feel that they will be very likely to return to cycle again. Many also said that they would return next year but lengthen their stay and build a holiday around the event. It makes sense to have the cycle at this stage of August because it is the last weekend before the schools reopen, so it gives a last holiday opportunity to families. From a tourism point of view, it helps to lengthen the season also.”
He also pointed out that traditionally tourists on an activity holiday spend more than other tourists.
“Tourists who are taking part in activities spend money on equipment, transport and tend to eat more also, as opposed to those who are taking it easy and relaxing,” he added.
He explained that a lot of work has gone into the Shannon Regional Trails, which include ideal scenic routes for walkers, trekkers and cyclists. They are also currently updating a GPS system, which will enable tourists to download their route before their visit to Clare and know exactly which trails they will venture on.