A new €2 million stimulus package is being invested to progress the objectives of the new five-year Lough Derg marketing plan.
Environment Minister Alan Kelly has announced this funding will be spent on implementing some of the key recommendations of the “Roadmap for Experience Development and Destination Marketing Plan 2014-2017” for Lough Derg, which was launched earlier this year.
Minister Kelly made the announcement at the launch of a brand new website dedicated exclusively to the promotion of the Lakelands Lough Derg region.
Tourism attractions in Clare will be marketed in a more coordinated fashion with the help of a new website, which is designed to make a big splash for Lough Derg.
Visitors to the region with information on places to visit, events, accommodation providers and restaurants, special offers, and land and water based activities by visiting www.discoverloughderg.ie.
The website is one of a number of marketing initiatives being rolled out over the coming months and during 2015 to establish the Lough Derg area in Clare, Galway and Tipperary as Ireland’s premier lakeland destination.
“Lough Derg is the most important tourism asset in this region, and the lake has the capacity and the potential to entice and host domestic and international visitors alike,” stated Minister Kelly at the official launch on Monday.
The minister stressed agencies needed to continue working on increasing the demand for lakeside and leisure activities and attract tourists into the Lakelands Lough Derg Region. An online presence is just one activity to assist agencies to achieve this objective.
Implementation of the marketing plan is being co-ordinated by the Lough Derg Marketing Group (LDMG), comprising Fáilte Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Inland Fisheries, Clare, Galway and Tipperary County Councils, LEADER and tourism trade representatives from the private sector.
In addition to the website, the LDMG has coordinated a promotional video for the Lakelands Lough Derg Region, which is available to view on the newly launched website and which local tourism businesses are encouraged to incorporate into their websites.
Lakelands Lough Derg will also be promoted on websites across France and Germany later this year, while a domestic marketing campaign is planned for the national print and broadcast media in early 2015.
Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.