Tourist ambassadors resume duty on city’s historic streets
The ambassadors, inaugurated last summer, work as roving tourist helpers on the city’s streets.
The group who take to the streets this year include a Polish newspaper correspondent; a former Inca Trail tourist guide from Peru and a student from California.
The project spearheaded by the Limerick Co-ordination Office (LCO) last summer helped almost 10,000 visitors and was so successful that Dublin city will copy it this year.
LCO City Coordinator Andrew Mawhinney said: “As pioneers of this programme in Ireland, it is great to see the Limerick Street Ambassadors go from strength to strength. This summer will see an increase in the numbers of ambassadors in the city centre from 10 to 12, providing an even greater and more efficient service.”
He said there was a huge response to the advertisement looking for street ambassadors.
The main yardstick for the successful candidates was a love of Limerick and a good outgoing personality to engage with tourists and local people.
The 12 successful candidates range in age from 17 to 65 and also include students, retired people, language, tourism and business graduates.
Polish newspaper correspondent, Magda Sudol, has been living in Limerick for over a year with her husband and two-year-old daughter.
Magda loves the quality of life in Limerick and has spent the last year writing about events in the city for the Dublin-based Polish newspaper, Polska Gazeta, and a paper in Poland.
She said: “This is a useful background for working as a street ambassador because I now know a lot about life in Limerick, as well as learning about the history and culture. I think it will be good for tourists to hear about Limerick from someone who has experienced the city as an outsider and can also speak their own language.”
Carlos Madrid from Peru has been living in Limerick with his wife and family for eight years.
His former experience as a tourist guide on the famous Inca Trail in Peru will help him in his new job.
Carlos said: “My family and I have made Limerick our home and we love it. When I came to Limerick I studied the history and I took this job because I would like to change the false concept of the city and highlight all its attractions.”
Student, Shauna Zelinski was born in California and has lived in County Limerick for the past six years.
“My Mum is Irish and I took this job because I felt it would challenge me by giving me a chance to pass on my knowledge of Limerick to strangers and improve my social skills,” he said.
Last year’s team leader Jean Ryan, will be taking up her post again this year. Her job is to co-ordinate the work of the ambassadors.
Ms Ryan said: “I got great satisfaction from the job last year and I am confident we can build on it this year.”
The street team had an intensive training course in local history, first aid, communications skills and basic phrases in four languages — French, German, Spanish and Italian.
They will work part-time for 15 weeks until September, walking three different routes throughout the city.
The street tourism programme costs €71,000 over two years and is jointly funded by the Limerick Co-ordination Office and the European Commission.
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