Westport, Kinsale tourism winners

Two picturesque Irish towns have been honoured for putting tourism at the heart of everything they do.

Westport in Co Mayo was crowned Ireland’s National Large Tourism Town at a ceremony in Dublin yesterday, while Kinsale in Co Cork has been named National Small Tourism Town.

Fáilte Ireland presented representatives from each town with a certificate and a €5,000 grant towards further developing tourism in their areas.

Fáilte Ireland’s Paul Keeley said a true “tourism town” isn’t necessarily a town that gains the most from tourism but rather a town that gives the most.

“In that respect, Kinsale and Westport are worthy winners this year,” he said.

Each of the towns was visited by a panel of independent assessors, as well as a team of secret shoppers, who assessed each town on their tourism performance and the level of welcome to visitors.

The judges described Westport as “something special”, noting the friendliness of locals and a great sense of local energy and pride.

“They say variety is the spice of life and Westport is not short of either. There is something for everyone and it caters well for Ireland’s climate,” they said.

Cllr Michael Holmes, who accepted the award on behalf of his town, said its tourism product has been greatly expanded in recent years.

“Westport offers a very varied palate of visitor attractions and activities, coupled with amazing local foods in a setting of spectacular scenery,” he said.

“The Tourism Towns initiative gives Westport renewed focus to ensure that our standards are kept high and that the people value the visitor’s contribution.”

The judges were equally impressed with Kinsale.

“There is a great cosmopolitan feeling in Kinsale, coupled with beautiful scenery and narrow streets bursting with history,” they said.

“It would appear that Kinsale has something to offer all demographics and its visitors will leave with lasting impressions and memories.”

Accepting the award, Charles Henderson, the chairman of Kinsale Tidy Towns, said: “Three words sum up Kinsale — location, location, location — a picturesque fishing village nestled between hills and harbour, encompassing a mix of medieval buildings and a maze of narrow streets, seamlessly incorporating a multitude of historical tourist attractions and gourmet restaurants.

“This award will give a great boost to all our efforts in the town.”

The Mayo hotspot and the Cork sailing village were chosen from a shortlist of 10 top tourism towns.

Ardmore in Co Waterford; Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim; Cobh and Glengarriff in Co Cork; Kilkenny city; Lismore in Co Waterford; and Killarney and Portmagee in Co Kerry each received certificates of merit to acknowledge their efforts in reaching out to visitors and creating the best possible tourism experiences.

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring hailed the winners. “These awards are all about honouring the towns that put tourism at the centre of what they do,” he said. “This is particularly evident with our winners with both towns clearly embracing tourism and seizing the opportunities that it brings.”

The judging panel also credited Cobh for the sense of vibrancy and local pride in its historical impact on the sea, and the legacy it left behind. They said it was obvious that there is a huge local effort to promote Cobh, and that local people are friendly and helpful when it comes to providing information to visitors.

The judges also made special mention of the “great sense of welcome” in Glengarriff, and how there was a real feeling of wanting to stay longer to experience all the town has to offer.

The Tourism Towns Award was designed by Fáilte Ireland to promote Irish towns and villages which are working hardest to enhance their appeal to tourists.