A key focus of the county's future development under the new Offaly Tourism Strategy 2023-2027 is to provide more accommodation within the county.
The new strategy calls for a sustainable approach to increasing bed capacity, with a view to developing fringe accommodation such as glamping, unique self-catering, Airbnb, small non-chain boutique hotels and campgrounds. It states that. RV park.
There is also the possibility of making further use of the Grand Canal and River Shannon, and using barges, cruisers and other boats that provide accommodation and recreation. Offaly's tourist accommodation capacity is low compared to surrounding counties, with just over 1,000 registered beds in 2023, the majority of which are accounted for by his six hotels. I am.
Cllr John Carroll welcomed the strategy, announced at the recent Offaly County Council meeting, but said the “biggest and most difficult thing” would be to increase accommodation in the county.
“We know the value of tourism is to keep visitors in the area, but we still don’t have the accommodation to sustain the numbers and encourage people to invest.”
He also highlighted the issue of nighttime entertainment and said he was looking forward to funding local festivals.
Chief of Staff Sandy Feehan-Smolen said people needed to be encouraged to offer beds.
“We also need to provide a place for people to eat and tour the ruins.”
Cllr Noel Cribbin highlighted the disproportionate number of tourist attractions and facilities in North Offaly compared to other areas of the county. “In North Offaly, where I’m from, tourism is very unbalanced.
“Barr has the castle, Banagher has the Shannon, Slieve Blooms, Clonmacnoise, all on the edge of the county.
He said there were no hotels until he returned to North Offaly from Tullamore.
“This is a third of the county that needs to be addressed.
Many years ago there was a hotel in Edenderry. I have to do something seriously, but I don't know how. ”
Andrew Murray, director of planning, economic development, regeneration, tourism, heritage and just transition services, said there was a “3 million special fund to encourage low carbon accommodation”.
“East Offaly/North Offaly has been very quiet in terms of tourism for a number of years, but the fact that we have now introduced a greenway through Edenderry means that there could be more footfall and wheel-tipping in the future. I think that's a big deal.”
Ali Karan, consultant at CHL Consulting, added that hotels are important. He says, “If you don't have a place to stay, your time will definitely be limited.''
“Some of our smaller supporting villages can benefit from visitors coming through what we call gateway towns.
Bedtime equates to an overnight stay, and length of stay equates to more money,” Curran said.
Councilors have welcomed the new Offaly Tourism Strategy 2023-2027, which has been announced at Offaly County Council.
It is hoped that this framework will unlock the tourism potential of the county.
