Improving our heritage branding

THE fascination of American visitors with Irish castles is well known, and the fact that they don’t have attractions stateside which are as old might be part of the reason for this.

But what some of them may not realise is that our heritage is much more ancient and deeper than these centuries-old structures. Happily, a growing number of visitors are discovering our archaeological sites, including stone forts, many of which date back thousands of years and are still quite well preserved.

Apart altogether from the intrinsic value of such sites, their importance as visitor attractions is growing. Latest statistics available from Fáilte Ireland show that in 2011 an estimated 3.4m overseas visitors engaged in cultural and heritage activities while in Ireland, spending an estimated €2.7bn during their stay.