The mighty Shannon will become Ireland’s surprising heart.” That s according to a €76.5m masterplan mapping out the future of tourism along Ireland s longest river to 2030 – the first such plan dedicated to the entire Shannon Region. Stretching from the storied Shannon Pot in Co Cavan to the river’s estuary in Limerick, and including the Shannon-Erne Waterway, the Shannon Masterplan envisages a future where slow travel” can attract more visitors and increase dwell-time in Ireland’s hidden heartlands.
Among the ideas for “world-class visitor experiences are harbour and amenity upgrades, the creation of new blueways and trails – linking Boyle to Lough Key in Co Roscommon, for example – and the possible “reimagining of historic buildings like lockkeepers cottages and riverside warehouses into boutique hotels, cafes, galleries or museums”.
Shannon Tourism Masterplan Launching Tomorrow
1st March 2021
Tomorrow morning, Tuesday 2 March, will see the launch of the Shannon Tourism Masterplan by Heritage Minister Darragh O Brien and Tourism Minister Catherine Martin as its implementation has already begun.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Shannon Tourism Masterplan sets out a bold and integrated framework for sustainable tourism development along the Shannon and Shannon-Erne Waterway, repositioning the region as a key tourism destination within Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands with world-class visitor experiences based on the region’s natural and cultural assets.
The plan was developed by Waterways Ireland in association with Fáilte Ireland and with the support of the 10 local authorities adjoining the River Shannon and Shannon-Erne Waterway: Leitrim, Cavan, Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Galway, Offaly, Tipperary, Clare and Limerick.
Around 160,000 hospitality workers who will not return to their jobs before mid-summer due to ongoing lockdown restrictions are devastated, hoteliers in Ireland have said.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin has cited concern about uncertainties surrounding new variants of coronavirus and high numbers of infections, giving a mid-summer date for potentially reopening the sector.
But Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, president of the Irish Hotels Federation, said the tourism community was shattered to learn of the tentative timeframe for reopening.
On Saturday, she warned: “The implications of the announcement are huge in terms of confidence in the survival of Irish tourism.
“Our people are our greatest asset and yesterday 160,000 tourism people who have temporarily lost their jobs learned that their employment is unlikely to be restored until mid-summer.
Galway Bay FM
18 February 2021
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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Galway TD is accusing the Government of failing small tourism businesses by excluding them from a Covid-19 support for the sector.
Deputy Eamon O’ Cuiv says Fáilte Ireland recently announced a €50m scheme to help businesses affected by the ongoing pandemic.
However, he contends for some unexplained reason, businesses with a turnover of less than €50 thousand are excluded.
The Fianna Fail Deputy argues these small operators often provide vital services on the mainland and islands, such as minibus and pony and trap services.
Deputy O’ Cuiv believes Tourism Minister Catherine Martin needs to issue directions to Failte Ireland and rectify the situation immediately.
GOVERNMENT should identify “clear criteria” to determine when Irish tourism can reopen in the context of the revised Living with Covid Plan, according to the first report by Ireland s Tourism Recovery Oversight Group.
With tourism in “survival mode”, businesses and jobs in tourism should also be kept in existence until conditions allow for sustainable recovery, the State tourism group added.
It said the Employee Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) should be maintained in its current form for all businesses until the end of June, and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) until the end of 2021.
Other recommended measures include extending the sector s 9pc VAT rate to 2025, and the Local Authority Rates Waiver until the end of 2021 for tourism and hospitality businesses.