Shackleton Experience in Athy Wins European Tourism Award

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

Shackleton Experience in Athy Wins European Tourism Award

4th November 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Award-Winning Achievement: Aline FitzGerald (right), General Manager of the Shackleton Experience in Athy, celebrates its Best Europe Tourism Project 2026 award

The Shackleton Experience in Athy, County Kildare, has been named Best Europe Tourism Project 2026 at the British Guild of Travel Writers International Tourism Awards, bringing international recognition to the attraction dedicated to Irish polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The Guild presented the award at its Gala Awards Dinner in London on 2 November, ahead of World Travel Market.

Located in Athy's historic Town Hall, the attraction tells the story of the Kildare-born Antarctic explorer through interactive exhibits, original artefacts, archival material and immersive storytelling. Since opening in October 2025, it has welcomed 30,000 visitors from more than 25 countries.

More than 200 artefacts are on display, including the restored cabin from the Quest, in which Shackleton died during the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition in January 1922. Other exhibits include a sledge and harness used during the Nimrod Expedition and a recreated 1920s cinema showing rare archival footage.

Athy's Antarctic Landmark: The Shackleton Experience, housed in Athy's historic Town Hall with its striking iceberg-inspired extension, has welcomed 30,000 visitors from more than 25 countries since opening in October 2025

Visitors can also experience a recreation of the Endurance expedition, joining the crew as they battle Antarctic ice, with crashing waves and wind effects bringing the historic voyage to life. The attraction also has a café, gift shop and exhibition on Athy's history.

The international award followed a visit by British Guild of Travel Writers member Isabel Conway, hosted by county tourism organisation Into Kildare. Conway subsequently nominated the attraction for the awards, which recognise new tourism projects considered deserving of wider international attention. The Shackleton Experience was shortlisted among European tourism projects before Guild members voted it the 2026 winner.

Chloe McGrory, Tourism Manager at Into Kildare, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Aline and the entire Shackleton Experience team, and a proud moment for Athy and County Kildare. We were delighted to host Isabel Conway and introduce her to the attraction. Her nomination underlines the value of bringing travel writers to Kildare to discover our tourism experiences first-hand, and we thank her for championing the Shackleton Experience internationally.”

Aline FitzGerald, General Manager of the Shackleton Experience, said: “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious accolade just over a year after opening! It is a phenomenal tribute to everyone who helped bring the Shackleton Experience to life. Shackleton's legendary story truly has a worldwide audience, and we are so proud to showcase it right here in Athy, his home county. We hope this inspires even more visitors to come discover the experience and explore everything our fantastic town has to offer!”

The award adds to the international profile of Shackleton's maritime legacy. The Athy attraction was developed following a reported €7.5 million investment, as Afloat reported at its opening. The town also hosted the 26th Shackleton Autumn School in October 2026.

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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?

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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.