Marine Tourism Businesses Selected for Digital Transformation Programme

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

Marine Tourism Businesses Selected for Digital Transformation Programme

13th February 2025

Afloat.ie Team

30 marine tourism SMEs embark on a digital transformation journey, enhancing competitiveness and community well-being under the DIBEST initiative, supported by the WDC and the EU

A group of 30 marine tourism small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been selected to participate in a digital transformation initiative for Ireland’s coastal tourism sector.

The businesses span a wide range of categories—including accommodation, catering, sports and maritime tourism, cultural activities, and tour operations.

The programme, which is spearheaded by the Western Development Commission (WDC), is known as DIBEST (Digital Innovation for Blue Enterprises & Social Tourism).

It is co-funded by the European Commission under the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme, Priority 3: Blue Sustainable Tourism and Culture.

The programme aims to "empower coastal tourism microenterprises" with digital solutions that “enhance competitiveness, environmental stewardship, and community well-being”.

The total project budget is €2.74 million, including €2.05 million from the European Regional Development Fund, the WDC says.

The WDC says that the Irish businesses were chosen from a highly competitive field across Ireland, Spain, France, and Portugal.

They will receive customised digital transformation supports, helping them” enhance their online presence, streamline operations, and adapt to evolving market trends”, it says.

“This is a pivotal moment for marine tourism in Ireland,” WDC chief executive Allan Mulrooney says.

“DIBEST is about much more than technology; it’s an opportunity to ensure coastal operators remain competitive and resilient in a digital-first marketplace,” he says.

“By working collaboratively and responsibly, these microenterprises will contribute to job creation, vibrant local communities, and long-term economic development throughout Ireland’s coastal regions.”

Led by WDC with Irish partners RDI Hub in Killorglin and Munster Technological University (MTU), the three-year programme will run from July 2023 to July 2026.

Tailored online courses, workshops, and mentoring for the 30 Irish SMEs began in January 2025 and will continue through March 2026, it says.

Further details can be found at WesternDevelopment.ie and dibestinterreg.com

Published in Aquatic Tourism

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marine 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.