In October, Valentia Island, Co Kerry, will host the Great Lighthouses of Ireland Annual Gathering and Conference. The event will establish a new Great Lighthouses of Ireland Strategy 2025-2030.
The event is being held in the birthplace of modern communication, promising inspiration through its rich blend of history, heritage, and communication.
The conference theme focuses on "Developing our Future Lighthouse Tourism Experiences and Supporting Sustainable Coastal Communities," providing a vital platform for tourism and development partners and public and community stakeholders to exchange insights and information.
This exchange aims to inform individual business strategies and collectively position lighthouse tourism and heritage to support development in each destination and community.
Key topics for discussion at the conference includ creating sustainable destinations and community hubs informed by the new Great Lighthouses of Ireland Strategy 2025-2030, developing unique visitor experiences that offer nature, escape, and inspiration, protecting and sharing Irish Lights history and Lighthouse community heritage for future generations, capturing oral history, stories, and culture, and effective marketing and communications through digital storytelling.
The event is expected to draw a diverse group of delegates, including existing and emerging partners, tourism and state agency representatives, local authority partners, NGOs, and potential funders. Notable representatives from stakeholder organisations include Irish Lights, Great Lighthouses of Ireland, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Valentia Island Development Company (VIDCo), and Kerry County Council.
