Eco tourism 'the way forward' for Duhallow
At the eco tourism seminar were from left, Mary Mulvey, ECO Tourim Ireland; Louise Bourke, Enterprise and Tourism Officer, IRD Duhallow; David Griffin, Pods Ireland and Michael Doyle, IRD Duhallow. Credit: Photo: Patrick Casey
ECO TOURISM is the way forward for Duhallow — and that was certainly the theme of the night at the recent IRD Duhallow Eco Tourism Seminar. With a large crowd of tourist operators in attendance, the focus of the night was to show how eco tourism can work in the Duhallow region.
Eco tourism, a niche market, is the most rapidly increasing form of tourism throughout Europe, centring on nature and the outdoors.
IRD board member Michael Doyle explained why Duhallow presents a perfect opportunity to cash in on the eco tourism phenomenon. As a region, he said, Duhallow already displays many eco tourist products, many of which have been helped develop with the support of IRD Duhallow.
There's Millstreet Country Park, and the unique culture and heritage which is showcased in Bruach na Carraige, Rockchapel; Laharn Cross; and Freemount Heritage Centre. In addition Duhallow is home to the adventure centre and fishing offered at Ballyhass lakes, plus the iconic walks developed by IRD Duhallow, and the world class equestrian facilities throughout the area.
However, he emphasised that there is further need to develop unique packages and to work together as a group to promote and sell Duhallow as a holiday destination.
David Griffin from Pods Ireland showcased a unique eco tourist business with 'the pod', which hones in on the current craze of 'glamping' also known as glamorous camping. David showed how these pods can enhance your business and help develop your business.
Following David, Mary Mulvey of Eco Tourism Ireland gave an indepth talk on how to make your business operate in an 'eco manner,' the certification process and how to develop a unified tourist product for Duhallow.
Mary also described the Eco Tourism training course which was launched by IRD Duhallow on the night. This will provide tourist operators throughout Duhallow with bespoke training and one-to-one mentoring on how to maximise their business operations and operate an eco business.
For further enquiries contact Louise on 02960633 or visit the IRD Duhallow website http://www.irdduhallow.com/tourism.
