Delegates from FEDETON (EU Federation of Nautical Tourism Destinations) were treated to a warm Donegal welcome when they arrived Donegal Town for their General Assembly.
The AGM which was held in the Central Hotel was hosted by Donegal County Council with assistance from Donegal Tourism Ltd. Cllr.
Terence Slowey, Cathaoirleach of the Council said he was delighted to be there to welcome these delegates to Donegal and to showcase all that Donegal has to offer on the Wild Atlantic Way.
He told us: “It was a great privilege for me to welcome these delegates to Donegal. Those attending the meeting had travelled from several EU countries including Croatia, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy and Donegal County Council is the only Council in Ireland to be a member of FEDETON.
“I think this demonstrates the Council’s commitment to developing our marine tourism sector and maximising opportunities that are being presented by the Wild Atlantic Way.”
FEDETON is an EU representative body with a specialist interest in nautical tourism. The objectives of FEDETON include the development of nautical tourism destinations in member regions, lobbying the EU commission to gain recognition and seek funding opportunities for this sector and to develop networks amongst nautical tourism destinations such as Donegal to encourage knowledge exchange and collaborative approaches to benefit all regions.
The President of FEDETON, Mr. Bernard Faucon was welcomed by Cllr. Slowey at the meeting and was presented with a commemorative Donegal Pen and a bottle of Selkie whiskey from the Sliabh Liag Distillery in Donegal to mark the occasion of his visit to the county.
During the meeting action plans for the future were discussed during a very lively discussion on the way forward for nautical tourism destinations in FEDETON.
After the business of the day came to a close, the delegates had the opportunity to tour the county with Joe Haughey Tours taking them along our beautiful coastline. They were very impressed when stopping off in Killybegs to see the many fishing vessels and the location of the new marina. Onwards towards Sliabh Liag along the coast road, delegates were in awe of the stunning coastal scenery. Meeting Paddy Byrne at Teelin Pier, the delegates took a boat trip out to Sliabh Liag and were amazed by the sheer height of the majestic sea cliffs of Sliabh Liag. They even managed to catch a large Pollock fish from the boat, a moment that will be remembered forever.
That evening delegates enjoyed some local fresh seafood with a meal in Castle Murray House as the sun set over the beautiful Donegal Bay.
The President, Mr. Faucon remarked that ‘a place of such rugged coastal beauty such as Donegal has the opportunity to become one of Europe’s premier nautical tourism destinations of excellence and our shared objectives within FEDETON have the potential to achieve this goal’.
Several of the delegates had planned to stay in Donegal after the meeting to spend a couple of days touring the county, while others said they looked forward to returning soon.
Tags:
