Fáilte Ireland hosted a special briefing event for the Galway city tourism industry last night in The Dean Galway.
Over 150 tourism businesses attended the event, which was the first in-person Fáilte Ireland briefing of this scale, in the city post-Covid.
Among the future plans for Galway city outlined at the event was an upcoming 5-year Destination Experience Development Plan (DEDP) which is aimed at driving and sustaining tourism in the area along with identifying new opportunities that will encourage tourists to stay longer in the destination. Speaking about the DEDP, which Fáilte Ireland is due to embark on next year, Miriam Kennedy, Head of the Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland said:
“As the only city on the Wild Atlantic Way, Galway is in an excellent position to evolve and deliver fresh, exciting, new tourism experiences in the future that match growing trends. Galway is already considered a leading tourism destination with high international appeal and an ambitious, co-ordinated industry coupled with this upcoming 5-year plan will align the exciting developments across the sector to ensure Galway city remains on the must-visit list for years to come.”
As part of the session, Travel Editor of the Irish Independent & Independent.ie Pól O’Conghaile spoke about some of the emerging trends in travel and tourism, and how Galway is best placed to leverage these opportunities. The event featured a panel discussion with a number of tourism representatives including Paul Keeley, Director of Regional Development at Fáilte Ireland, Patricia Roberts, Owner of No. 1 Pery Square Hotel & Spa, Limerick, Nuala Mulqueeney, Managing Director, Aillwee Burren Experience and Dominic O’Móráin, General Manager at Lough Inagh Lodge, Connemara.
The event also included showcases from a number of new and enhanced Galway City experiences including The Black Gate Culture Club, Galway city Gin Distillery, Yoga Mara, Experience Gaelic Games, The Irish Dance Experience, Aran Island Ferries and St Nicholas Collegiate Church. Exhibiting at the event were Galway Convention Bureau, Galway Food Tours, Galway Tour Guides Association, Micil Distillery, Wildlands and Galway Atlantaquaria.
