Fáilte Ireland has launched a new five-year plan that will help drive and sustain tourism in Cork City, Cork Harbour and East Cork, at the Blackrock Castle Observatory, also in Co. Cork.
The Cork City, Harbour and East Cork Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP) aims to create a sustainable tourism destination by extending the tourism season and spreading business across all parts of the region over the next five years.
“This five-year destination and experience development plan captures the unique themes that are central to Cork City, [Cork] Harbour and East Cork, and features key priority projects, which will transform the tourism offering across the region,” said Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland.
“The development of a new attraction of scale, creating a world-class harbour experience, as well as positioning the Cork food story as an inherent part of the visitor offering, will strengthen Cork’s position as an internationally compelling destination in Ireland’s Ancient East.”
Strategic Framework
Consulting and contributing to the plan were key stakeholders in the area, including Cork City Council, Cork County Council, the local tourism industry, the Port of Cork, Cork Airport, Chambers of Commerce, local leaders and economic groups, as well as local communities.
The development of the five-year plan provides a shared vision towards improved development, strengthening the promotion of the area’s features by growing the destination’s market share through the delivery of priority projects and ‘hero experiences’ that seek to maximise the key strengths of the area.
The plan provides the strategic framework to prioritise tourism development projects that will attract more visitors to the region and encourage them to stay longer. This includes the development of a visitor attraction of scale for Cork City and enhancing the harbour’s accessibility to create a sustainable visitor amenity that connects communities to the city. It also suggests leveraging the county’s rich food provenance, to position it as a world-class gastronomy destination.
Local Communities
“This plan sets out the actions, priorities and future investment for the area, by focusing on increasing the value of tourism, growing the appeal of the destination and increasing visitor spend,” said Aileen Murray and Derry Cronin, Cork City, Harbour and East Cork DEDP co-chairs. “The actions within this plan will ultimately strengthen the local communities living in these areas.”
