Fáilte Ireland says it aims to position the Wild Atlantic Way among the top five touring routes globally by 2033.
The tourism authority outlined its plans and priorities for the route and its region at a special online briefing late last week involving over 1000 tourism industry operators, providers, and employers.
At the briefing, it said it aimed to focus on tailored approaches for the northern and southern halves of the route to ensure “greater regional and seasonal dispersal of visitors”.
“Investments in iconic attractions and collaborations with Tourism Northern Ireland under the Shared Island scheme will help to encourage visitors to explore the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route as a unified experience,”it says.
As Afloat has reported, six new capital projects across the Wild Atlantic Way are set to open in 2025.
The details of these projects are:
Dún Aonghasa, Inis Mór, Galway: Redevelopment of the visitor centre to focus on climate change and ancient inhabitants, with satellite interpretation hubs.
Carrowmore, Co Sligo: New immersive exhibition linking to the Céide Fields, positioning Carrowmore as a Neolithic exploration hub.
New Farm Trail, Connemara National Park, Co. Galway: Opening a previously inaccessible part of the park to alleviate pressure on existing trails.
Bray Head Signature Discovery Point, Co Kerry: Transformed Signal Tower with a new viewing platform offering views of the Skelligs.
Outdoor Water Sports Facilities: Four water sports facilities due be completed in 2025, one located on the Wild Atlantic Way at Fenit in Co. Kerry. Overall, 12 of these facilities are due to be delivered along the Wild Atlantic Way in the coming years.
Other major projects include the transformation of Westport House Estate and Galway Museum by 2027, and the redevelopment of Fort Dunree by 2028.
“All capital investment projects adhere to best practice sustainability measures, with ongoing environmental monitoring to mitigate impacts on sensitive sites,”it says.
Fáilte Ireland's strategic partnership with Údarás na Gaeltachta will also see over €4 million investment for Gaeltacht Island communities across two new visitor centres on Inis Mór and Cape Clear.
These investments will both enhance the tourism infrastructure and help to manage visitor flow on these sensitive sites.
Additionally, the partnership will continue the roll-out of its “Gaeilge agus Fáilte” programme which in its first year has helped 24 tourism businesses incorporate the Irish language into their tourism experiences.
Speaking about the plans, Miriam Kennedy, Head of the Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland said that over ten years, the Wild Atlantic Way has “become a cornerstone of Irish tourism, contributing over €3 billion annually and supporting 121,000 jobs”.
“Building on this momentum, Fáilte Ireland's ambition is to position the Wild Atlantic Way among the top five touring routes globally by 2033,”she said.
