Council plans rural tourism boost

Cork County Council plans to undertake a pioneering role in promoting tourism as a result of its unique involvement with an EU body which was set up to grow tourism in peripheral rural regions.

The council plans to encourage and co-ordinate the coming together of “clusters” of tourism businesses that would promote self-catering holidays based on hillwalking, marine activities, and adventure tourism.

It will assess their plans and, if feasible, help these clusters seek EU-funding and aid their marketing.

Details of the plan were unveiled at an EU-organised seminar in County Hall yesterday which was attended by EU experts, tourism industry bosses, and small tourism operators.

Robert Collins, head of the Irish Regions Office in Brussels, said the EU is anxious to promote tourism in its member states during the next seven years and said Cork is well-positioned to get a slice of the action.

MEP Seán Kelly said the EU wants to increase tourism in peripheral regions and would be able to provide stimulus packages for small and medium tourism enterprises.

He said there is “a wealth of potential in Cork” which “has no shortages of iconic attractions”.

Mr Kelly said the EU was also interested in promoting year-round activity holidays, for which Ireland was ideally suited.

The county council has been involved in the EU’s CesR (Co-operative of Employment and Services in Rural areas) project along with seven organisations from the likes of Slovenia, Latvia, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic.

They are working together to swap ideas of how to generate tourism income and jobs in rural areas which traditionally have no other industries apart from agriculture.

Louis Duffy, the council’s head of economic development, said his section would co-ordinate the push to create more tourism-related jobs in the county.

“We want communities to get together and come up with ideas for clusters and marketing,” Mr Duffy said.

“If their ideas are feasible we will seek to help them in any way we can, working with Fáilte Ireland, local development companies, and funding agencies.”

He added: “This has to be community-led, but we will be the support for it. We hope to strengthen resources available in council for tourism promotion. It is important to create jobs in rural areas which wouldn’t attract industries.”