New tourism collective group in Ballinasloe
A new Community Tourism network was established at a launch meeting in the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe recently.
The launch night saw the Ballinasloe Area Community Development Company (BACD) outline how tourism development for the town and its hinterland is one of the three key pillars of the new Strategic Development Plan.
BACD had commissioned a feasibility study on the potential of tourism development which was presented to the invited audience of some 80 delegates from the trade and sector.
The feasibility outlined how the scoping exercise identified almost 170 visitor related experiences/firms and services in a 25km radius of the town centre. The plan went on to outline what actions are required to make the area more visitor friendly when the Greenway spur and Blueway of the Suck are completed over the coming years.
A strong panel of industry leaders contributed their perspectives on how places in undiscovered Ireland need to establish an experience and offer as well as just identifying assets.
Paddy Mathews CEO of Hidden Heartlands presented an overview on what his organisation were doing to maximise the potential of the region that had 80% of the Wild Atlantic Way passing through it but only managed to keep less than 5% of the total visitor numbers to the island.
He explained their target markets for season stressing the Northern Ireland and Domestic Visitor.
He believed that some three years on, having first attending a briefing in the town – the group was on the right direction of travel and that he and his team from Hidden Heartlands would be engaging and supporting them.
“It’s no longer enough to say come visit us and discover our assets, we need to bundle them into experiences that encourages people to play here when they stay here, this network will be significant part of getting that new message out there,“ stated Paddy.
Eanna Rowe, Regional Manager of Waterways Ireland, said: “The 7,000 boat owners are a very networked community and you must try with the launch of this network keep reaching out to a variety of groups and segments that will in time become ambassadors for this part of the country.”
He added that the start-up of a new local Inland Waterways Association on the Suck would be a huge building block.
Steve Dolan the CEO of Galway Rural Development Leader – who had funded the study which had recommended the formation of a collective – welcomed the Plan and the large, renewed interest in tourism.
“From listening to the presentations from looking at the larger numbers of hinterland communities and key private investment support, we can see here tonight how much part of the Hidden Heartlands that Ballinasloe and its hinterland want to be”.
There was a robust question and answers session with the panelists before the Moderator Brian King Vice Chair of BACD wound down the evening stating that the collective would be establishing new working relationships with all the agencies on the stage in creating an innovative and dynamic tourism collective for the wider East Galway South Roscommon and West Offaly areas.