IRELAND’S national tourism body has launched a strategy to leverage the popularity of Ireland’s most popular outdoor attraction and increase the dividend to north Clare.
Fáilte Ireland’s plan launched on Wednesday aims to drive and sustain tourism in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher by extending the tourism season and spreading business across all parts of the region over the next five years.
Entitled the ‘Visitor Experience Development Plan for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher’, the focus of the plan builds on a number of projects that will help distribute visitors more evenly across the region and make it easier for the visitor to enjoy the world-class experiences available.
Projects include the Burren Discovery Trail – a new touring route for visitors; the upgrade of a 2km Cliff Walk at the Cliffs of Moher; and a new ‘Be a Custodian for a Day’ online industry training programme to promote responsible tourism.”
Key stakeholders in the area and the local community were consulted and inputted into the plan including Clare County Council, the Office of Public Works (OPW), the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) as well as many local tourism operators and networks.
We are delighted to be working with @Failte_Ireland on the new long-term tourism plan for the Burren & Cliffs of Moher. We hope it will provide local tourism businesses with the tools to develop new experiences and enhance existing ones.#Cliffofmoher #Burren #WildAtlanticWay https://t.co/6sUROrvNk3
— Cliffs of Moher Experience (@CliffsofMoherIE) October 13, 2021
Commenting on the launch of the plan Miriam Kennedy, Head of the Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland, said: “This Visitor Experience Development Plan, which captures the unique themes central to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, is about looking to the future of tourism in the region and will be hugely important as we work towards recovery.
“It provides a framework for tourism businesses and stakeholders to work in partnership over the next five years to create new and improved existing visitor experiences. Local consultation and input was central and this collaborative approach provided local stakeholders with the opportunity to contribute and shape the plan.”
Commenting on the plan, Leonard Cleary, Director of Rural Development at Clare County Council, said: “The Burren and Cliffs of Moher features stunning karst natural landscape and cliff edge scenery. In 2015, UNESCO designated The Burren and Cliffs of Moher a UNESCO Global Geopark.
“We are delighted to work with Fáilte Ireland on this new long-term tourism plan which will help increase dwell time and revenue without compromising the environment or culture of the region.”
Nuala Mulqueeney, Managing Director of the Aillwee Cave & Birds of Prey Centre in The Burren and Geraldine Enright, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Co-Chairs of the Visitor Experience Development Plan for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher, said: “Building on the success of the Wild Atlantic Way, this plan will provide local tourism businesses with the tools to develop new experiences and enhance existing ones, while encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more within the region.”
For more information on the Visitor Experience Development Plan for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher, visit www.failteireland.ie.