All walkers welcome in County Clare

Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Walkers Welcome' initiative was launched today in The Burren by Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in conjunction with three new walking routes for North Clare and the Walks Scheme. The Burren is the latest area to join Fáilte Ireland’s 'Walkers Welcome' initiative. Now operating in five areas across the country, the 'Walkers Welcome' was developed to raise the standard of service visitors can expect from their walking holiday in Ireland.

To further promote the appeal of North Clare as an activity holiday destination, and to enhance the walking facilities for visitors from both home and abroad, three new looped walking routes were also launched today as part of the Burren Walks Project. Ranging from 9km to 26km, the new looped walks are the Carron Loop, the Ballyvaughan Wood Loop and the Black Head Loop. (A full list of Looped Walks including maps is available at www.discoverireland.ie/walking).
 
Responding to the needs of walkers Fáilte Ireland has developed a series of 'Walkers Welcome' charters which are a commitment from the local community and tourism providers to offer the best walking experience possible in the area by providing:

• Guaranteed regular maintenance and upkeep of local walks; 
• A local walking officer offering assistance and advice;
• Walks information, including mapboards and signage,
• Local Walkers Welcome approved accommodation;
• Local amenities committed to providing walker friendly service in shops, pubs and cafes (for example; the provision of packed lunches, spaces for mucky walking boots etc).

Up to 20 community business and voluntary interests are already involved in the 'Walkers Welcome' in The Burren and, as part of their commitment to providing walker friendly services to the area, these businesses will receive training and promotional opportunities from Fáilte Ireland.
 
Overall approx 150 local businesses and tourism providers in the five 'Walkers Welcome' areas have already signed up to these charters. Visitors to these areas are encouraged to look for the 'Walkers Welcome' logo to be assured of a warm welcome with ample information and services to help them enjoy their walking experience in the area.
 
Other locations involved in the initiative are:

• Tinahely, Co. Wicklow
• Donegal Town and surrounding area
• Slieve Blooms
• The Glen of Aherlow, Co.Tipperary

Speaking today Ciara Scully, Development Officer for Fáilte Ireland explained:

“The guiding principle behind the 'Walkers Welcome', that all participating tourism operators and the local walking community make it a priority to deliver an outstanding walking experience to all walkers in the area, presents a great opportunity to develop the area, increase visitor numbers and grow revenue for all.
 
I am delighted that The Burren, as one of only five locations nationally to be picked for this initiative, now has an enormous opportunity to increase the profile of County Clare as a centre of excellence for walkers.”
 
North Clare, as a walking destination, has been further enhanced by the implementation of the recently developed walks ccheme. Aimed at farmers and private landowners, the scheme has ensured the enhancement and maintenance of national waymarked ways and national looped walks in the area. With the co-operation of almost 50 landowners, the Burren Way walking route has been developed with the extension of the off road sections of this route and the opening up of three new attractive looped walks in the area.
 
Over the last two and a half years 130 national looped walks have been developed throughout the country with support from Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. These walks come under a number of themes including nature, island, mountain and coastal and the local communities, who have taken great pride in developing them, are reaping the benefits with people coming to the areas, doing the walks and spending money locally. (See detailed note  below for more information). 
 

ENDS

For further information please contact:
 
Laoise Bray
Communications Officer, Fáilte Ireland
01 8847 195 / 086 0404788
                  

Note for editor
 
Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, was established in 2003 to guide and promote tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy.
 
The tourism and hospitality industry employs an estimated 250,000 people and generates more than €6 billion in revenue a year.
 

Walking in Ireland
Walking in Ireland represents the largest opportunity for growing visitor numbers to Ireland with over half a million (517,000) overseas visitors taking part in a walking activity in 2008, spending an estimated €364 million in Ireland.
 
Based on Harris Research 2008 commissioned by Fáilte Ireland the USA, Germany, the UK & the Netherlands shows the greatest potential for attracting walking visitors.
 
According to this research there are potentially more than 1 million UK residents who would par-take in walking in Ireland in the next three years. This figure is closely followed by 900,000 German visitors, 800,000 visitors from the USA and 700,000 visitors from the Netherlands.  
 
Additionally our 2008 Visitors Attitudes Survey found that walking, (including hiking and cross country), is seen by holidaymakers as a premier product, with one in every four holidaymakers mentioning it as an activity they have taken part in during their holiday. This figure rises to one in every three among Mainland Europeans who display high satisfaction ratings with the quality and price of this activity.
 
Fáilte Ireland is committed to developing the walking offerings that are being made available to both overseas and domestic visitors and are currently engaged in a number of initiatives, and support programmes, with local communities helping them to welcome walkers with open arms and to understand the economic value of walking activities can offer their local economy.
 

National Looped Walks
Over the last two and a half years 130 national looped walks have been developed throughout the country with support from Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. These looped walks are developed and maintained by local communities with the support and funding from Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (CRAGA). The walks come under a number of themes including nature, island, mountain and coastal and the local communities, who have taken great pride in developing them, are reaping the benefits with people coming to the areas, doing the walks and spending money locally.
 

Looped Walks in The Burren
 
Carron Loop
Trail Head: Cassidy’s restaurant and Public House, Carron, Co Clare
Services: Carron, Corofin (12km), Ballyvaughan (15km)
Distance: 9km
Duration: 3 – 4 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Terrain:    Mix of minor roads, animal tracks and green roads
To Suit:    Higher than average level of fitness

Ballyvaughan Wood Loop
Trail Head: Car Park outside Ballyvaughan Village, Co Clare
Services: Ballyvaughan Village
Distance: 9km
Duration: 3 – 4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Terrain:    Mix of minor roads, animal tracks and green roads
To Suit:    Higher than average level of fitness

Black Head Loop
Trail Head: Fanore Beach Car Park, Fanore, Co Clare
Services: Fanore Village (1km), Ballyvaughan (15km)
Distance: 26km
Duration: 5 – 6 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Terrain:    Mix of minor roads, animal tracks and green roads
To Suit:    Higher than average level of fitness

Burren Way Walking Trail – National Waymarked Way
Total distance:    123km
Duration:            4 days approx
Difficulty:           Moderate to difficult
Terrain:              Mix of green road, pathways, minor roadway, rocky tracks.
 

The Walks Scheme
In addition to the looped walks, with the walks scheme supported by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and through rural development companies we are now seeing goodwill from farmers and land owners maintaining walks going through their land. Currently there are over 1,000 farmers signed up to the scheme & Rural Recreation Offices and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs plan to build on this figure over the remainder of 2009 and into 2010.
 
This development gives visitor’s greater confidence as to the quality of walks available through regular maintenance and upgrading etc.
 
The Burren Walks Project is a collaborate effort between a number of state agencies, the local authority and local tourism bodies. Among these are the Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Shannon Development, Fáilte Ireland, the National Trails Office (part of the Irish Sports Council), Clare Co. Council, Burren Connect project, Clare Local Development Company, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Clare Sports Partnership, Coillte, Burren Way Ltd., and local groups including Ballyvaughan/Fanore Walking Club, local farmers and landowners and the North Clare tourism trade.
 
Rural Recreation Officers
In 2008 12 Rural Recreation officers were appointed to the rural development agencies with a responsibility for rolling out the walks scheme in their areas & the development of walks. They have been liaising with farmers, rolling out the walks scheme for landowners and working very closely with local communities’ aswell as Fáilte Ireland to help them promote their areas to walking visitors.

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