Plans to create new food tourism network in Athlone

Athlone Chamber of Commerce is planning to establish a food tourism network to promote the high quality of restaurants and artisan producers in the locality.

The project, which aims to boost tourism locally, is currently being examined with a view to getting it up and running early next year.

ABOVE: Athlone Chamber CEO Gerry McInerney.

At last week's meeting of Westmeath County Council's economic, enterprise and tourism committee, Chamber CEO Gerry McInerney said its members were keen to see a new focus on promoting the town's culinary assets.

"Every destination around the country that attracts tourists has a food network, a food trail, or a food story," he said.

"We've brought in a marketing company who work with Destination Athlone and they have experience in doing this in other towns, including Sligo, so they will be the drivers behind this if we can get approval for it.

"It means that you have restaurants, producers, people who produce food gifts... this brings them all on the one page, working together, and tells a story about what Athlone and the locality can produce."

The Chamber is seeking €12,000 to €14,000 in funding through the county's local enterprise office for the initiative.

Westmeath County Council director of Services Barry Kehoe said it would be important that food businesses on the Roscommon side of Athlone were also involved.

"The tourist who comes to Athlone doesn't see the county boundary, they come to Athlone and environs rather than Athlone, County Westmeath, so the more that we do with Roscommon, in Athlone, the better," he said.

Cllr Emily Wallace, from Milltownpass, asked if Athlone Chamber had spoken to the Westmeath Food Network which is already in place and consists of a number of artisan food producers in the county.

She said places like Cork were very good at advertising their food offerings and food trails, and this was something Westmeath should be looking to emulate.

Separately, Mr McInerney said Athlone Chamber had started discussions with the 'One For All' gift voucher company about establishing a gift voucher that could be spent exclusively in Westmeath businesses.

"Athlone Chamber had a voucher scheme that stopped a number of years ago, because I think the weight of administration was too high on it," he explained.

He said 'One For All' could offer vouchers that would be confined to a particular town or county, but it would be early 2021 before such an initiative for Westmeath would be ready.