LOCAL communities and businesses on the Shannon Estuary Way are to benefit from a year long Destination Development Programme to help boost economic growth for the rural communities along this newly launched tourist route.
Located just off the Wild Atlantic Way, the Shannon Estuary Way was developed by Fáilte Ireland, together with Clare and Limerick City and County Councils, and is set to become a key tourist attraction for the Mid West Region. The route is 207km in length and is the first in a series of Wild Atlantic Way looped drives aimed at increasing visitor ‘dwell time’ and spend in local communities.
The drive showcases the spectacular stretch of water, where the Ireland’s longest river, the Shannon, meets the mighty Atlantic Ocean and offers a beautiful drive along the scenic and unspoilt coastlines of Limerick and Clare, taking visitors through the picturesque towns and villages, heritage sites and many visitor attractions featured within the route.
The Shannon Estuary Way, was officially launched in March 2019, following a a community led project supported by Clare County Council, Limerick City and County Council, West Limerick Resources, Clare Local Development Company and Fáilte Ireland. The initial development programme facilitated communities on both sides of the Shannon Estuary to come together to create a vision for the new route and harvest the rich heritage and history in each of the areas, under the concept of ‘big skies and sheltered waters’.
This new destination development project represents the second phase of development for the Shannon Estuary Way and is specifically designed to support the local communities in leveraging the route to deliver positive economic benefits for their local communities and to position the drive as a key tourist offering in the Mid West. The project is a joint initiative between West Limerick Resources and Clare Local Development Company and has been funded through the LEADER programme. The programme is being delivered by leading Irish tourism consultants, The Tourism Space, who also facilitated phase one of the training programme in 2019.
Commenting on the importance of this project to the communities of the Shannon Estuary Way, Managing Director of the Tourism Space, Tina O’Dwyer said, “This programme is designed to bring solid, tangible benefits to both businesses and communities along The Shannon Estuary Way. The purpose is to foster collaboration and also build capacity, so that the people and places of the Estuary can make the most out of this new tourism opportunity.”
“It’s remarkable that the stories, heritage and way of life of The Shannon Estuary Way are truly distinctive and largely undiscovered. There is a great appetite now amongst visitors to be able to connect with nature, engage with local people and uncover the real stories of a place. Throw in the chance of adventure on land and water and the Shannon Estuary Way is really well positioned to capitalize on tourism,” O’Dwyer continued.
The training programme is scheduled to begin in early May 2021. Local businesses and communities located on the Shannon Estuary Way are encouraged to participate. For further information on this training programme contact the Tourism Space at tina@thetourismspace.com
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.