Athlone to have new year-round tourist office

A central location has been identified for a tourist office in Athlone town centre.

The as of yet undisclosed location will be open all year round and will be a "positive development for Athlone", Director of Services Jackie Finney said, during the monthly meeting of Athlone-Moate Municipal District.

The tourist office is currently located in the Athlone Castle & Visitor Centre.

A recurring issue amongst Municipal District members, the relocation of the tourist office was raised by Town Mayor, Cllr Keena, who queried if visitors to Athlone knew where the existing facility was located.

"We have discussed this matter in the Chamber on numerous occasions. There is a need to make the tourist office available to visitors all day not just during regular working day hours. When the Athlone Castle & Visitor Centre closes there is then no access to the town's tourist office for visitors which is simply not ideal. It is essential that a central location with longer access hours for visitors is found as we approach peak tourist season," Cllr Keena said.

In support of Cllr Keena, Cllr John Dolan said that Fáilte Ireland previously would not "take the bait" to the District's premises proposal for the relocation of the tourist office.

"All the major towns seem to have tourist offices located on their main streets, Westport being a case in point. I suggested at one stage that we should use one of the Christmas market huts in the civic centre as a tourist office particularly during the summer season but that was not to be.

It defies logic where the tourist office is currently located. We have to adapt to the mentality of a person visiting Athlone for the first time. Surely common sense should prevail and the tourist office relocated," Cllr Dolan said.

Cllr John Gibbons suggested the placing of digital boards and touchscreens in a central town location to enhance the visitor experience, saying that this would complement having a main tourist office in the town.Noting that the members had been "making a case" for the relocation of the tourist office for a number of years, the Director of Services confirmed that a central location in the town centre had been identified for such a purpose.

"Having looked at a number of premises in Athlone we have now identified a central location for the relocated tourist office. There are cost implications involved and so I am not going to say for definite where this particular premises is located. However,

“I can confirm that the tourist office will be relocating and will have an all-year-round presence in the town when it eventually opens," Ms Finney said.