Fáilte Ireland today published a list of 15 towns and villages across the country that are being considered for the 2014 Tourism Towns Awards.
The competition, now in its third year, is designed to recognise Irish towns and villages where the local community goes the extra mile to enhance their appeal to tourists. The selected towns will now be subject over the next few weeks to a series of unannounced inspections from a team of independent ‘secret shoppers’ who will visit each location and assess the quality of visitor experience to be had.
Kilkenny took home the overall crown in 2013, however 2014 will see a change to the format of the competition, with titles awarded to Best Large Town and Best Small Town. The top ten “Highly Commended Tourism Towns” will be announced at the National Tidy Towns Awards later in year, with the overall winners, Best Large and Best Small, to be announced by Fáilte Ireland in November.
Speaking about the competition, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring said, “This award is all about recognising Irish towns and villages which are working hard to make Ireland even more attractive for tourists. This important work brings benefits to local communities and local economies across Ireland.”
Paddy Mathews from Fáilte Ireland emphasised the important characteristics of a tourism town and the how the award scheme seeks to recognise them, “A great tourism town is one that provides visitors with an unforgettable experience. It is a town where the local businesses and the local community all contribute to shaping and delivering this experience. It also tells its story of its heritage and culture in an engaging way.”
The award focuses on how participating towns have developed their local area in the following key tourism areas; sense of place, local involvement, tourism products available and development and promotion of the town.
Tourism Towns List
Town Name County Tourism Towns Category
Glengarriff Cork Small Town
Kinsale Cork Small Town
Rosscarbery Cork Small Town
Portmagee Kerry Small Town
Carrick-on-Shannon Leitrim Small Town
Blackrock Louth Small Town
Beal an Mhuirthead Mayo Small Town
Ardmore Waterford Small Town
Lismore Waterford Small Town
Ennis Clare Large Town
Cobh Cork Large Town
Killarney Kerry Large Town
Kilkenny Kilkenny Large Town
Westport Mayo Large Town
Trim Meath Large Town
