The news that the tourism industry had experienced a bumper July has given the Donegal tourism industry a huge boost.
County Manager Seamus Neely says Donegal has so much to offer visitors
A number of surveys this summer have all concluded that this summer is shaping up to be one of the best tourism seasons in almost a decade for the county.
And the most recent news coming from online travel agent, EBookers.com, that Donegal ranked number 1 in a nationwide poll with a staggering increase of 800 per cent in bookings is certainly evidence that County Donegal is fast becoming Ireland’s favourite holiday destination.
Welcoming the news, Seamus Neely, Chairman of Donegal Tourism Ltd and Donegal County Manager said he is absolutely delighted that Donegal has seen an influx of holidaymakers this summer.
“It is my view that Donegal has a fantastic range of visitor products. We have some of the best Hotels, B&B’s and Guesthouses in Ireland. We have more Blueflag Beaches than any other County in the Country, and most important of all, we offer a high quality tourism product at very competitive rates.
“I would like to praise the excellent work of Fáilte Ireland, Donegal Hotel Federation, Donegal Self-Catering Association, B&B Ireland, and all of the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises that have really come together this year to ensure that Donegal’s tourism product is as competitive as any on the Island of Ireland.
“I think it is important to recognise the contribution of the Elected Members on Donegal County Council for their continued support for the tourism sector. It is our ambition that the rest of the year will be as successful as the last number of months. There are still plenty of reasons to visit Donegal this summer and autumn.”
Donegal County Council launched a new destination tourism website – www.govisitdonegal.com in February 2013, began an intensive marketing campaign aimed at the staycation market in April. GoVisitDonegal.com saw an extraordinary increase of 463% in visitor traffic in July, with many users searching for information on beaches, accommodation and festivals or events.
The €104,000 advertising campaign targeted the key visitor markets in Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Galway, through a range of outdoor billboards, bus advertising in the capital and an intensive national radio and print campaign. The campaign was funded by Donegal Local Development Company and Inishowen Development Partnership under the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme.
Tourism Development Officer, Kevin O’Connor added it is clear that Donegal has benefited from the heatwave in July.
“However, I think it is worth noting that while the weather was an attraction for many people, there were certainly other factors in making Donegal the number one choice for holidaymakers in 2013.
“Our festivals and events programme, marketed under the Gathering and Donegal Gathering Brands has been second to none. Big ticket events such as the Earagail Arts Festival, Feile An Grianan, the Donegal Rally, Letterkenny Live, A Taste of Donegal Food Festival are major attractors for visitors. That is not to forget the hundreds of community-driven events and gatherings that have really added to the annual festival calendar.
“We have also benefited from our partnership work with the City of Culture team, and our trade have been very astute in creating innovative packages around the big events happening in Derry this year. “
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