Featured photo: Malin Head. Photo by Chris Hill for Tourism Ireland / Failte Ireland
Donegal tourism businesses are invited to attend the county’s first Tourism Connections Event, hosted by broadcaster and journalist Richard Curran during Local Enterprise Week (03rd – 07th March 2025).
The event, run in association with Donegal County Council through Donegal Tourism GAA and Fáilte Ireland, aims to foster meaningful connections among tourism providers in the county.
By encouraging referrals, collaborative partnerships, and sharing innovative practices, the event aims to maximize the visitor experience, promote year-round tourism, and achieve a balanced geographical distribution of visitors across County Donegal.
This initiative aims to empower local people to work together to promote Donegal as a world-class, inclusive and sustainable destination in all seasons.
There will be a number of facilitated one-to-one networking sessions among accommodation providers, visitor attractions and activity or adventure providers to give them the opportunity to make new connections and renew old ones in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny on Wednesday 05 March between 9.00 am and 2.30 pm.
Speaking ahead of the event, Joan Crawford, Wild Atlantic Way Manager told Fáilte Ireland: “We are delighted to be working with Donegal County Council, and in particular Donegal Tourism. With so many enhancements and updates to the tourism offer in Donegal, it is important to come together during Local Enterprise Week and identify the opportunities for cross-selling and collaboration to encourage visitors to explore further across the region, stay longer and spend more. Our recent research to mark 10 years of the Wild Atlantic Way shows that the Wild Atlantic Way drives €3 billion in revenue each year, and a key focus for the future will be to increase the appeal of the northern half of the tourist route throughout the year.”
Donegal County Council Cathaoirleach, Councillor Niamh Kennedy added “this is a great opportunity for tourism businesses to come together to meet, share ideas and collaborate. In a county known for its “team” approach, I would encourage businesses to register as soon as possible to take advantage of the facilities and information provided on the day and of course, meet the Donegal Tourism and Fáilte Ireland teams.”
Joy Browne, Tourism Manager with Donegal County Council, said: “Donegal has so much to offer the visitor. We are renowned for our beautiful scenery, but we also have a huge variety of activities and attractions to enjoy. The first “Compassionate Connections Event” gives us the opportunity to showcase our product and connect with other businesses in the county. By working together, we can position Donegal as a great place to come and visit.”
Adding to this, Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise Donegal said: “We are delighted that this event is taking place during Local Enterprise Week. Together with our stakeholders, we are excited to present a full programme of events and we anticipate a large turnout from 3rd – 7th March 2025 . This year’s theme is ‘Believe’ and during Local Enterprise Week, our panel of speakers, along with local businesses sharing their stories, will provide inspiring events for businesses across Donegal.”
To express interest in attending, register here or email waw@failteireland.ie or tourist@donegalcoco.ie
If you would like to attend this event, register here or email waw@failteireland.ie or tourist@donegalcoco.ie
