SKELLIG COAST TOURISM PLAN

FÁILTE IRELAND UNVEIL NEW PLAN AIMED AT BOOSTING WILD ATLANTIC WAY TOURISM FROM KELLS TO CASTLECOVE

A NEW tourism promotion plan aimed specifically at the southern Iveragh region has been launched by Fáilte Ireland.

The new Skellig Coast Visitor Experience Plan is aimed at increasing the amount of time visitors spend in the coastal region surrounding the world famous islands.

As well as promoting the Skellig Islands the plan will focus attention on other historic and natural attractions in the region.

These will include Daniel O’Connell’s birthplace in Cahersiveen and his home in Caherdaniel; the role of the transatlantic cable stations in Waterville and Valentia in the history of global communications and the journeys of the Skellig monks.

The Kerry Dark Sky Reserve – which boasts some of the best star gazing opportunities in the northern hemisphere – will also be a key aspect of the new promotional effort.

Orla Carroll Director of Strategic Development at Fáilte Ireland said the plan is about more than just boosting visitor numbers.

“This project is all about widening the current visitor experience from just simply being ‘a trip to Skellig Michael’ to a more immersive engagement with ‘the Skelligs Experience’. This approach will generate increased visitor dwelling times and revenue as well as help increase job creation in the local area. This plan also sets out to protect the special environmental character of the place by spreading tourist activity more evenly across the destination,” she said.

The newly formed Skellig Coast Tourism Network – which was launched alongside the plan last Wednesday. – will be central to the plan’s success.

The network is an umbrella organisation for tourism, community, business and development groups that fall in the plan’s catchment area, which stretches from Kells to Castlecove.

The network will work under the Chairmanship of Cahersiveen man Frank Curran.

Network Secretary Pat Kavanagh welcomed the new co-operative approach to promoting the region.

“The secret is out – following years of individual communities working independently on tourism – we now have a co-ordinated approach where the whole area from Kells to Castlecove is identified as one area under the Skellig Coast Tourism Network – working to providing a unique quality tourism destination for the Irish and International visitor,” he said.

Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell said the plan will be a boost to everyone in the region.

“This plan will help ensure continued growth in visitor numbers and will also help to extend the season and spread business to our smaller villages. This will result in increased profitability for tourism businesses and in turn will lead to an increase in jobs.”

Photo by Valerie O’Sullivan Fáilte Ireland launched its new Skellig Coast Visitor Experience Plan at Tech Amergin in Waterville last week Attending the launch were (from left) Josephine O’Driscoll, Failte Ireland Wild Atlantic Way South West; Moira Murrell, Chief Executive Kerry County Council; Fiona Monaghan, Director, Wild Atlantic Way; Michael O’Connor, Skellig Coast Plan; Declan Murphy, Fåilte Ireland; Wild Atlantic Way, Frank Curran; Chairman, Skellig Coast Plan; Caroline Boland, Marketing; John Griffin, Kerry County Council; Pat Kavanagh Secretary of the new Skellig Coast Tourism Network; Orla Carroll Director of Strategic Development at Fáilte Ireland.