Agencies to highlight rural attractions

THE promotion of lesser-known tourist sites and attractions holds the key to revitalising rural communities across Ireland.

That’s according to a group of West of Ireland tourism agencies about to embark on a week-long promotional trip to the US.

Clare County Council, Shannon Development, the Clare Tourism Forum, the Clare Tourist Council and Shannon Heritage will be promoting Clare to 140,000 festival goers at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin.

Tomás MacConmara, acting heritage officer at Clare County Council said: “The promotional campaigns of national bodies such as Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are crucial to the overall success and development of the industry.

The promotion of the lesser-known heritage attractions throughout the country is often overlooked even though they hold the key to revitalising rural communities and contributing to the sustained growth of the Irish tourist sector.

“Tourists come to Ireland to experience the cultural characteristics that make the country unique and unless we have the foresight to develop and promote this aspect for tourists we run the risk of being consumed into a homogenous western European tourism product and could significantly reduce our international appeal as a consequence,” he added.

Mary Slattery of Shannon Heritage, which promotes Bunratty Castle and Cragganowen, said that the organisation was conscious of the need to showcase lesser-known attractions: “Promoting lesser-known attractions in conjunction with the world-renowned products that the region has to offer is the only way to show the true promise of our region.”