Killary Adventure Centre To Create 20 New Jobs with New Hostel on Killary Fjord

Q: Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

Killary Adventure Centre To Create 20 New Jobs with New Hostel on Killary Fjord

26th November 2024

Afloat.ie Team

Miriam Kennedy (Head of Wild Atlantic Way, Fáilte Ireland), Ciara Young and Shane Young (Directors of Killary Adventure Company) at the Sleepzone Connemara Hostel Credit: Michael McLaughlin

An award-winning Connemara adventure centre says it will be creating 20 new jobs after it acquired a hostel building on Killary fjord.

Killary Adventure Company has acquired the Sleepzone Connemara Hostel located on the same site as its business overlooking the fjord.

The hostel building, dating back to the 1860s, is to be restored and renovated. When finished, it will increase Killary Adventure Company’s on-site beds to over 200.

The announcement was made this week during a visit to Killary Adventure Company by Miriam Kennedy from Failte Ireland, head of the Wild Atlantic Way which celebrates its 10th birthday this year.

Children experiencing Stand Up Paddleboarding on Killary fjord, one of Killary Adventure Company's activities for school groups, summer camps, families and corporate retreats

“We’re thrilled to expand our accommodation offering, particularly in a region like Connemara where the need for sustainable, all-year-round facilities is growing,” said Ciara Young, director of Killary Adventure Company.

“This expansion is part of our broader mission to support sustainable tourism in the region, and to offer a variety of options to cater to eco-conscious travellers, adventure seekers, and business visitors.”

“We believe this expansion will not only bring new employment opportunities but will also support the local economy by helping to extend the tourist season and ensure visitors can enjoy Connemara’s natural beauty sustainably in every season,”Young said.

She said the building restoration will be “aligned to the company’s dedication to sustainability and community development”.

The acquisition means the company will be offering three different accommodation options when the new accommodation opens in April 2025.

In collaboration with Failte Ireland and Galway County Council, Killary Adventure Company has spent the past year developing a comprehensive sustainable development plan for its 150-acre site.

The plan “prioritises environmental preservation, ensuring that business expansion integrates elegantly with the natural landscape, helping to maintain Connemara’s beauty, while also fostering the growth of eco-tourism”, it says.

Earlier this year the adventure outlet became one of the first businesses in Ireland to achieve the prestigious B Corp Certification, joining over 1,300 companies in 42 countries worldwide including leading global brands including Patagonia and Etsy.

The company offers a range of activities for school groups, summer camps, families and corporate retreats. It also attracts international and Irish adventure seekers with its guided and self guided tours business, Connemara Adventure Tours.

It also runs Gaelforce Events which is renowned for hosting the annual Gaelforce Great Fjord Swim at Killary Fjord and the Gaelforce West Adventure Race annually.

Published in Aquatic Tourism, Connemara

Published in Aquatic Tourism

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Marine Leisure & Aquatic Tourism

Domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million.

Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips.

While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities.

According to the National University of Galway (NUIG) research the average expenditure per coastal day trip in 2018 was calculated at €95. The equivalent for coastal overnight trips was €310. The estimated water-based activity expenditure per person per trip across the sample was €56 rising to €73 for the subsample that actually undertake waterbased activities on their coastal visits. The results also indicate that domestic tourists undertake the majority of their marine activities on the West and South coasts of Ireland and that there are notable differences in participation rates across age groupings, social classes and by family makeup.

A domestic tourist is defined in this report as a person who spends at least one night away from home on their trip. Total expenditure by domestic tourists in coastal areas was estimated to be €698 million in 2018, which represents 35% of the total expenditure by domestic tourists (using the broader Fáilte Ireland measure for domestic tourists that includes business trips equating to 10.92 million in total trips and €2,006 million in total revenue).

The marine-related activity expenditure, or what might truly be referred to as domestic marine tourism, is estimated to generate revenue of €381 million with €172 million being spent on water-based activities. Marine tourism makes up an estimated 19% of total domestic tourism expenditure.

Marine Leisure Tourism - FAQ

What is marine leisure tourism?

Coastal tourism refers to land-based and water-based tourism activities taking place on the coast for which the proximity to the sea is a condition including also their respective services. Coastal and Marine Tourism & Leisure are seen as one of the Blue Economy (BE) sectors that can help unlock the potential of multi-use of space at sea by engaging with Blue Growth (BG) sectors such as Aquaculture and Marine Renewable Energy among others.

Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

What marine leisure tourism studies have been conducted in Ireland?

NUI Galway carried out a survey of domestic residents in Ireland in 2019 as part of a survey entitled "Valuing and understanding the dynamics of Ireland's Ocean Economy". The purpose of the household survey was to profile the domestic market for single-day trips (leisure) and overnight trips (tourism) for coastal and marine-related activities in Ireland. The results of the survey are also used to estimate what proportion of an Irish resident's total domestic tourism expenditure is in coastal areas (coastal tourism) and what proportion is spent on undertaking marine-related activities (marine tourism).

What were the results of the NUI marine leisure tourism study?

The NUI results highlight the important contribution that Ireland's marine and coastal resources make to the leisure experiences of the general population and the importance of the domestic tourism market to local coastal economies. The analysis indicates that domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million. Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips. While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities. Satisfaction with the available marine-related leisure facilities was also found to be very high across all activities.