Inishowen Tourism- Introduce their Visitor Experience at the Holiday World Shows 2016

By Heidi Woods Tourism Development Officer

The Holiday World Show 2016 is in its 27^th year. It showcases the very best in travel, where to go, what to do, that satisfies the avid explorer, or a restful retreat, family fun, or celebratory tour. A buzzing atmosphere in both Belfast and Dublin kept the girls busy, welcoming the trade and potential visitors to the stand. The team presented the attractions to experience, the variety of accommodation, places to eat, cafes, restaurants and spectacular scenery to view. On Saturday in Dublin, the queues were streaming in to meet the exhibitors. Prize draws featured at most of the stands, this gave us the opportunity to converse with the broad range of potentially interested visitors that may choose Inishowen as their “must see and explore “destination. Prizes were kindly donated by members of Inishowen Tourism to highlight “what’s on offer” here in the Peninsula over the three days in each location. The added attraction of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way and specifically Malin Head at the start of the road trip has heightened the interest in potential visitors coming up “North”. Exploring the rugged west coast, from the tip of Donegal has never been more appealing.

There is no place quite like Inishowen

As we welcome a New Year definitely feeling the bite of the wet and wild weather wise, Inishowen Tourism are pleased to welcome 2016 attending the January Holiday Shows in Belfast and Dublin in the coming weeks. Putting our best foot forward alongside other Donegal tourism colleagues affords us the chance to enthuse in the passion we have about Inishowen, and why we are worth going that far north for; those that make the journey, don’t leave disappointed!

Showcasing Inishowen and the Northern Lights to Diaspora

Inishowen Tourism showcased the Inishowen Peninsula off  in style on the 18th & 19th of November.  Diaspora and Tourism professionals from many corners of the world travelled to Inishowen to participate in the two day familiarisation trip  ‘Come experience the Northern Lights’.

Photo courtesy of Adam Rory Porter

We welcomed  our Diaspora guests, Travel Writers, Tour Operators, representatives from Fáilte Ireland, and also Tourism Ireland. At the opening reception Minister Joe McHugh joined Siobhán Kelly, the Marketing Manager at Inishowen Tourism in welcoming everyone to the area. The evening proceeded with a fantastic presentation of the Northern Lights by Adam Rory Porter. Gerard O’Kane of Donegal Photo Tours, Mark McLaughlin a member of the Buncrana Camera Club and Brendan Diver of Photos from Ireland, were also present. The gentlemen gave a great insight into how to prepare for your hunting, what a equipment you’d need to capture the Aurora Borealis and where to find the essential information before heading out on your adventure.

Luck was on our side that night and all the factors indicated there was a great chance of an Aurora Borealis display. The KP was above 5 which meant there was a high possibility of capturing a glimpse of the Northern Lights with the naked eye. The entire group jumped on the bus and headed to Dunree Military Fort in the hope of seeing those Northern Lights dance through the Inishowen sky. Our Luck had left us on arrival to Dunree and due to cloud cover the Northern Lights were nowhere to be seen. However a great night was had by all and there was a great sing song on the bus on the way back to the hotel.

The following morning the group ventured on the Inishowen 100 route along the Wild Atlantic Way with an action packed itinerary around the Peninsula highlighting some of Inishowen’s most scenic views, hidden gems and also  experiencing the all round hospitality. To quote Liam Campbell, the manager of the International Publicity Team at Fáilte Ireland, Liam told us, ‘We have so many highlights of our stay but the most enduring was the natural and generous hospitality and warm welcome we received.’

Some of the Participants at the Diaspora event: Photo courtesy of Brendan Diver

The trip was concluded with a fantastic night of entertainment at the well renowned Celtic Feast at the An Grianán Hotel. Tourism trade in Inishowen and across Donegal and Derry were all invited to attend giving them an opportunity to network with the Diaspora and tourism professionals. Through the evening individuals learned the history surrounding the Grianán Fort through story, music and dance. While enjoying the entertainment a feast fit for a king was served.

The two day Diaspora event was a great success with all participants giving wonderful feedback on all aspects of their trip. They returned home inspired by Inishowen’s natural beauty, hospitality and with warm hearts from their enjoyable experience. We look forward to working alongside these tourism professionals in the near future creating itineraries to welcome new visitors to Inishowen.

Know Your Region- Failte Ireland team up with Tourism Industry providers to “Take a trip on the Wild Atlantic Way” - Part Two

Know Your Region- Failte Ireland team up with Tourism Industry providers to “Take a trip on the Wild Atlantic Way” - Part Two

 By Heidi Woods – Inishowen Development Officer

 In Part Two of the Know your Region Familiarisation Trips 2015 organised by Failte Ireland, Inishowen Tourism staff, take the opportunity to join other tourism industry counterparts to continue the journey around the County of Donegal.

 Day Trip Two

This is an opportunity to share “what to see and do” when you stay in Donegal.

The second day trip starts from Letterkenny and takes in Signature point two of the Wild Atlantic Way located at Fanad Head. For the purposes of a convenient meeting point to start the day trip, the Mount Errigal Hotel was the designated point for the group of participants to convene; listening to the local representative from Failte Ireland giving an overview of the benefits of the Wild Atlantic Way to the tourist industry. A particular update to this section ensued, and in general terms of the project for those that may not have been on the first trip.

As the journey starts in the morning leaving Letterkenny, the first port of call is the town of Ramelton via the R245.This Georgian historic town is situated at the mouth of the Lennon River where it enters the Lough Swilly. This location centralises a world-famous event; The Flight of The Earls from Kinnegar Beach in 1607 .The Heritage Centre in the town also has an impressive exhibition displaying the life and time of the Earls. There are several busy restaurants, pubs, self-catering cottages, shops, craft shops, hair salons, family activities and array of historical antiquities & attractions. Just over the other side of the river is “The Bridge Bar” one of the best music bars in the country.  It has a cosy restaurant with good food, and renowned for its excellent fish.

 

Know Your Region- Part One

Know Your Region- Failte Ireland team up with Tourism Industry providers to “Take a trip on the Wild Atlantic Way” Inishowen Take the Day Trips and share the “Experiences”

 By Heidi Woods – Inishowen Tourism Development Officer

Since the launch of the “Wild Atlantic Way”, a major tourism initiative for the western seaboard in March 2014, interest in the long distance route has superseded expectations of the service providers and visitors alike. Tourist Offices such as Buncrana, here in Inishowen have seen a dramatic increase in visitor numbers during 2014, and furthermore during the first half of 2015. Inishowen Tourist Office has had a 34% increase in footfall in comparison to the same period in the previous year.

The Donegal section of the Wild Atlantic Way showcases 1,100 kilometres of coastline, and boasts the most Blue Flag beaches, a total of 13.

Bundoran, Rossnowlagh, Murvagh/Laghy, Fintra/Killybegs, Naran/Portnoo, Carrickfinn/Anagary, Killahoey/Dunfanaghy, Downings/Rosguill Peninsula, Magherwarden/Portsalon, Fanad, Lisfannon/Fahan, Shroove, Culdaff.  

	Donegal has been described in Failte Ireland literature as “Untouched, off the radar and crying out for exploration”. Locals resonate that in terms of tourism, improvements in infrastructure as a gateway to the North “we are the forgotten county”. However, the WAW new route has finally highlighted an opportunity to discover the beauty of this county driving through some of the most picturesque areas in Ireland. It encapsulates rugged and remote iconic sights, in a region that is rich in archaeological content, steeped cultural tradition, expressed through music and language that expands the mind, body, and soul in Donegal.

LYIT hosting THRIC Conference – Leading the way forward in Sustainable Tourism

Blog by Heidi Woods Tourism Development Officer

Inishowen Tourism representatives Siobhan Kelly and Heidi Woods were pleased to attend the Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research in IrelandConference (THRIC) from 11 – 12 June. The conference was officially opened by Minster Joe McHugh TD on the morning of 11 June.  In conjunction with LYIT, RadissionBlu Hotel, Letterkenny, the Tourism College at Killybegs hosted the 11^th Annual Tourism Conference 2015.The conference runs on an all-Ireland inclusion providing an annual opportunity for the dissemination and presentation of research facilitating the tourism sector including hospitality and culinary operations.

This year’s conference theme ‘CollaborativeSustainable Development - The Way Forward for Tourism’ featured over 35 research presentations and was addressed by four key note speakers from Ireland, Scotland, England and Spain. These speakers included, Mr Pat Mccann, Chief Executive of Dalata Hotel Group PLC, Dr Diane Dodd, Director of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism), Barcelona, Ms Helen Campbell, Head of Global Brand and Customer Marketing, Visit Scotland, Professor Kevin Hannam, Professor of Tourism Mobilities at Leeds Beckett University.

Ryan Tubridy broadcasting from Dunfanaghy along the Wild Atlantic Way

On Wednesday the 10th June some of the Inishowen Tourism Staff ventured from the office to Dunfanaghy in the hope of meeting Ryan Turbidy.  2FM Radio were broadcasting the Ryan Tubridy Morning Show live and we were hoping to meet the man himself and invite him to Inishowen.

In the second year of this discover Ireland Campaign instigated by Failte Ireland, the 2FM team broadcasted live from Westport, Rosses Point in Sligo and of course Dunfanaghy in Co. Donegal. Every year a new destination along the Wild Atlantic Way is picked and our aim was to get this show to Inishowen next year. On arrival to Dunfanaghy, in true Donegal style the locals and the weather welcomed the roadcaster and the 2FM Radio team with open arms. Ryan made every attempt to speak to the local children  and local business people, He was particularly interested on how the Wild Atlantic Way was having an impact on the area. The Locals spoke highly of the Wild Atlantic Way and have already seen an increase in visitors to the area. Ryan himself spoke very highly of the great tourism product in Dunfanaghy, participating in some activities himself and more importantly told all this listeners about his experience.

Malin Head Marine Tourism Launch

A warm welcome was extended at the launch of The Malin Head tourism project, celebrated at the community centre, Malin Head on Tuesday 16th of June. It was formally opened by Mayor Ciaran Brogan following speeches and brief overview of the project. This projects aim is to develop facilities at Malin Head which is the first designated iconic signature point of The Wild Atlantic Way. Pictured at the site viewing platform were Chairman of Inishowen Tourism, Johnny McGuinness, Interim Marketing Manager, Siobhan Kelly, and Councillor Bernard McGuinness.