How our past can become our future

View of historic town centre

Get your visitors to stay longer and spend more with Fáilte Ireland’s new guidelines on tourism in historic towns

Telling the story of your town and turning it into a compelling historic place of interest can encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more. This insight comes as Fáilte Ireland’s new Historic Towns in Ireland Guidelines - a practical guide to how Irish towns can maximise their tourism potential - are launched today.

Through case studies and international examples, these new guidelines provide towns with a DIY kit of simple steps towns to influence their visitors’ experience - including improving ease of access, visual impressions, human interaction and the range and quality of places to stay and things to do and see, such as providing a good selection of festivals, events and markets throughout the year.

Ireland’s historic towns are of huge interest with almost one in five overseas visitors citing interesting history and culture as their reason for choosing Ireland as a destination. Such visitors contribute 54% to total overseas tourism revenue. Furthermore, a 2007 UNESCO study identified cultural and natural tourism as one of the more rapidly growing international sectors of the tourism industry accounting for 40% of international tourism.

To date, Fáilte Ireland has invested €2.5m in the development and enhancement of Historic Towns in Ireland and these guidelines are another step in developing Ireland as a destination with a unique cultural character and ‘sense of place’ that maximises its appeal to the lucrative culture and heritage seekers market. To date, 44 towns have been approved for funding under the first phase of this initiative (see editors note for further detail).

Speaking at the launch of the guidelines Mary King, with the Policy and Futures Division of Fáilte Ireland, emphasised the importance of developing Ireland’s historic towns:

“While familiarity may not breed contempt it certainly can breed complacency. Many towns in Ireland may not realise the wealth of their town’s historical attractions, and how much it is worth to them from a tourism perspective.

International research tells us that visitors are shifting from a culture of ‘sightseeing’ to ‘lifeseeing’. This means that visitor’s interests are moving beyond the traditional tourism elements of museums and galleries towards engagement with local culture. Many of our towns have a good story to tell and these guidelines map out the best approach to luring – and keeping – visitors which is the key to developing a sustainable local tourism industry and the jobs and revenue that come with that.”

What does the research say?

As part of the work for the report almost 1,000 overseas visitors were interviewed and the results showed that visitors to historic towns typically spend 11.5 nights in Ireland, which is 3.5 days longer than the average stay of 8 days for all overseas visitors. These visitors are, on average, over 45 years old and are predominantly from the middle to upper socio-economic groups.

To inform these guidelines, the survey sought to identify what visitors like and dislike about Irish historic towns. It found visitors were particularly impressed with the character of town centres, attractions such as castles, the surrounding scenery, quality of accommodation, pubs and the local welcome. What rated least favourably with visitors was the lack of outdoor markets, quality of public toilets and absence of day time entertainment. 

How to be a historical hotspot?

Based on the survey findings, and international best practice, Fáilte Ireland’s guidelines contain a range of practical tips and advice to help towns to develop a high quality experience for tourists.
 
The guidelines set out how a local authority, or local community group can: 

• Identify what visitors think of their town by carrying out a visitor survey; 
• Satisfy your visitors basic needs by making them feel welcome and make the town easier to navigate;  
• Showcase the towns best assets by revealing the towns story and presenting the towns historic buildings and attractions; 
• Make visitors stay longer and spend more by ensuring there are enough activities and amenities available to its target market; 
• Collaborate with other businesses towards a common goal through identifying the towns unique selling proposition and ensuring tourism and non tourism businesses are working together; 
• Measure your success to ensure both visitors and the local community are satisfied.

Each of the steps included in the guidelines are illustrated by case studies and national and international examples demonstrating the “dos and don’ts” when it comes to making the most of your town. A copy of the guidelines is being sent out to all Local Authorities throughout the country to inform their own planning and development.

Emphasising the potential success for towns that use these new guidelines Mary King concluded:
 
“With more tourists going off the beaten track, there is a real opportunity for our historic towns, local authorities and community groups, to use these guidelines as a tool to provide exactly what the visitor is looking for by making the most of their towns assets and inviting visitors to share in their history. Importantly, as these guidelines show, it doesn’t take a lot of money but rather the right approach to make a town more compelling for the 21st century tourist.”

A full copy of the new guidelines (PDF, 4MB) can be downloaded here along with a map insert outlining the simple steps to developing your town as an historic place of interest (PDF, 850kb), which accompanies the publication.

ENDS

Note to 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 190,000 people and generates more than €6 billion in revenue a year.
 
According to Fáilte Ireland’s 2009 Visitor Attitudes Survey more than three in every five holidaymakers visit an historical or cultural attraction while on holiday in Ireland making the cultural visitor a central plank in Ireland’s tourism industry.

Fáilte Ireland’s Historic Towns Initiative

Fáilte Ireland’s Historic Towns Initiative, funded under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 Tourism Product Development Fund, aims to provide a range of tourist signage, including orientation, interpretive and information boards, along a designated Historic Trail which guides the visitor around the town.
 
The initiative aims to maximise the tourism potential of the Historic Towns in question and enhance the visitor’s overall experience, by developing a nationally coherent, consistent and trustworthy set of pedestrian signs.
 
To date 44 towns have been approved for funding under Fáilte Ireland’s Historic Towns initiative. These towns include:
Youghal Cork
Cashel Tipperary
Listowel Kerry
Carrickmacross Monaghan
Kilrush Clare
Wexford Town Wexford
Tipperary Town Tipperary
Carrick-on-Suir Tipperary
Enniscorthy Wexford
Cootehill Cavan
Lismore Waterford
Bantry Cork
Athy Kildare
Loughrea Galway
Killarney Kerry
Trim Meath
Athlone Westmeath
Clonakilty Cork
Ennis Clare
New Ross Wexford
Ballina Mayo
Kinsale Cork
Cobh Cork
Belturbet Cavan
Ballyshannon Donegal
Naas Kildare
Tuam Galway
Boyle Roscommon
Westport Mayo
Drogheda Louth
Carrick-on-Shannon Leitrim
Donegal Town Donegal
Kells Meath
Slane Meath
Ardmore Waterford
Clifden Galway
Killala Mayo
Leighlinbridge Carlow
Cahir S Tipperary
Fethard S Tipperary
Mitchelstown Cork
Killaloe Clare
Ennistymon Clare
Roscrea N Tipperary

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