Fáilte Ireland and Waterford City & County Council are bringing businesses together to enhance the Waterford Greenway experience and attract more overseas visitors to the area.
Over 100 tourism businesses from across Waterford attended an event in the city today at the Tower Hotel where the National Tourism Development Authority and Waterford City & County Council shared their vision and priorities for boosting the visitor experience on the Waterford Greenway. These include international promotion of the region as well as improving infrastructure, signage and interpretation along the Greenway. Another core focus will be on developing businesses’ capacity and customer service skills.
The delegates also heard from Silvia Marty from Girona Greenways about how their greenway in Spain has become an international visitor experience as a result of the strong partnership working between local businesses.
Fáilte Ireland is already working with businesses along the Waterford Greenway to enable them to target core overseas markets, increase the length of time visitors spend in the area, and extend the core tourism season for many operators.
Waterford Greenway, a 46km off-road cycling and walking trail from the Viking City of Waterford to the coastal town of Dungarvan, has proven to be a hit with domestic visitors and the focus is now on targeting international visitors and driving revenue to the region.
Cllr Declan Doocey, Mayor of Waterford City & County:
“On the 25th March 2017, 50 years after the last passenger train travelled along the Dungarvan to Waterford railway line, huge numbers gathered to celebrate and support the opening of the Waterford Greenway. The old rail line had been transformed to create a world-class attraction for visitors and a valuable amenity for the people of Waterford. Almost two years on, it is great to see so many people here today ready to work together to further advance the Waterford Greenway on its journey forward – the success achieved to date has been through the hard work, collaboration and co-operation of many and it is these very things that will ensure the success of the Waterford Greenway into the future.”
Head of Ireland’s Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland, Jenny De Saulles, said:
“Visitors to Ireland’s Ancient East come here to seek out local stories and culture. The Waterford Greenway has already proven to be a hit with visitors from across Ireland and our focus now is on driving increased overseas visitor numbers to the region, encouraging them to stay longer and, ultimately generating more revenue for Waterford. The key to achieving this is by bringing businesses together to develop clusters of experiences which stand out in the international market and bring to life the culture of the local area. It was great to see such willingness from Waterford’s business community to really step-change the tourism offering on the Greenway and today’s event will pave the way for further development in the area.”
Michael Walsh, Chief Executive of Waterford City & County Council:
“The large numbers who attended today’s workshop speak volumes of the enthusiasm and interest the people of Waterford have in ensuring we build on the phenomenal success of the Waterford Greenway. In 2018 alone, the Waterford Greenway welcomed 283,503 visitors to Ireland’s longest and most scenic dedicated walking and cycling path. One of the key messages from today’s workshop was the importance of collaboration between locals, businesses, agencies, the Council and Fáilte Ireland – it is only by working together that the future success of the Greenway can be secured. With so many attending and actively participating in today’s workshop from all over county Waterford I am confident that the Waterford Greenway will continue to go from strength to strength and drive visitor numbers to Waterford City & County.”
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