Rural beauty walks set toattract tourists

SOUTH Tipperary is calculating that 10 of its “natural beauties” will strongly aid the county’s fight for a larger share of overseas tourism.

The Tipperary Ten is a group of walking trails developed to increase access to “a landscape knee-deep in heritage and loaded with legend”.

Linking serene villages and meandering past stately homes and abbeys as well as rambling along tranquil river banks, the new walking routes are designed to draw tourists away from the traditional honeypots by showcasing the best that south Tipperary has to offer.

At a launch in Grange village of the “Walking the Tipperary 10” booklet, Tony Musiol, chairman of South Tipperary Tourism, pointed out the importance of walking as a revenue generator.

“The number of overseas walkers coming to Ireland each year is now over 800,000 and exceeds the combined total of all other activity based tourism such as golf, angling and cycling,” he said.

Furthermore, he pointed to the health dividend that arises for society when people take up walking.

“For every €1 the Government spends on promoting walking, they will save €3 on health expenses,” he suggested.

Con Ryan, meanwhile, is one of 12 rural recreation officers nationwide and is tasked with developing walking routes and local amenities in Co Tipperary.

At the launch, he commended the walks scheme — which supported the development of the Tipperary 10 — as crucial to the expansion of rural tourism.

“The scheme allows walkers have access to the best of the Irish countryside while farmers get a twice annual payment for maintaining the trails,” Mr Ryan said.

The promoters of the walking trails insist: “There is now no reason for not getting here to enjoy breezy self improvement and a compelling landscape in the Tipperary countryside.”

lThe booklet is available in tourist offices or from South Tipperary Development Company on 052 6134455.