Discover Day to promote Lough Derg area

UP to €20,000 could be spent on marketing and promoting the first Discover Day in Lough Derg at the end of April, following a great response to a local tourism initiative.
Waterways Ireland and Fáilte Ireland have committed to providing €10,000 to promote an open day showcasing all the visitor attractions, amenities and what businesses have to offer in Killaloe and Ballina.
It is hoped matching funding will be provided by other agencies and/or local authorities, such as Clare and North Tipperary County Council for the event, which promoters believe will attract thousands of visitors to the lake district.
Sunday, April 29 has already been pencilled in as a possible date for the Discover Day, which aims to create local tourism ambassadors to play a key role in highlighting what is on offer for visitors and tourists all year round.
It is expected a local steering group will be set up following another meeting on Wednesday, February 15. This group will spearhead the plans and complete the planning over a 12-week period, as well as selecting the best day for the event.
Mayor of Clare, Councillor Pat Hayes said the event would provide a new focus of the tourism potential for the entire Lough Derg, East Clare and North Tipperary area. He added a lot of businesses in the area don’t know what their colleagues are providing, which illustrates the need for better networking.
Killaloe and Ballina Traders’ Association vice-chairman, James Whelan insists the event presents a great opportunity to create a much better public awareness of what the area has to offer.
Mr Whelan pointed out there are a lot of new businesses in the area, which will be given an ideal platform to showcase their products at the start of the summer. “It is up to all of us in the locality to become tourism ambassadors for area and this event should generate a lot of repeat business,” he says.
Details of the new project generated a very enthusiastic response from a crowd of over 70 people when they were unveiled at a public meeting at the Lakeside Hotel, Ballina, Killaloe on Tuesday last.
Building on the success of similar ventures in Athlone, Portumna, Carrick-on-Shannon, Tullamore and Mullingar, this is the first one in the Lough Derg Region and the last one where funding will be made available.
Local businesses will have a key role to play in raising awareness of the tourism assets of Killaloe and Ballina and the area and the Discover Day will facilitate them to do that to a wider audience.
Speaking to The Clare Champion, Katrina McGirr of Waterways Ireland said the agency is delighted with the enthusiastic response to the meeting and is confident people in the twin communities will take the opportunity to participate in the open day.
“Businesses and groups can work together to make Killaloe and Ballina a more attractive place to market and encourage people to stay longer in the area by showing them what is available. A tourist office may only be open from May to October.
“A tourist visiting the area should be able to get a full itinerary of what the area has to offer from a person in a local business or resident during the off-season in the winter,” she explains.
Fiona Monaghan, general manager of Fáilte Ireland West, said Killaloe and Ballina have been chosen to showcase the tourism assets of the area.
“We hope the event will give local people a greater awareness of what to see and do in their community and therefore, allow them to act as ambassadors for their area with both domestic and overseas visitors,” she explains.
According to Martin Dennany, marketing director for Waterways Ireland, the Discover Days are a hugely successful initiative throughout the Lakelands and Inland Waterways Region.
“People and attractions of Killaloe and Ballina make this area stand out. I believe the event will attract thousands of visitors. This investment in the development of local knowledge and expertise will impact long term on the visitor experience in and around the twin towns and Waterways Ireland is delighted to have played a part in making this a reality,” he said.
Activities could include visitor attractions, water activities, arts and crafts, face painting, live music, a historical walking tour of Killaloe and Ballina, boat trips and other land and water activities.
John Grimes, Féile Brian Boru committee, predicts the event will give local people and surrounding areas the opportunity to experience wonderful visitor attractions, facilities and services on offer so they can in turn become ambassadors in promoting Ballina and Killaloe as a visitor destination.
The initiative is part of a broader campaign to develop and promote Ireland’s Lakelands and Inland Waterways, which aims to significantly boost visitor numbers to the Lakeland regions over the next three years.