Athlone Chamber of Commerce President Alan Shaw has welcomed the announcement by Destination Athlone of a €60,000 investment in a local and national marketing drive to promote the area as a top tourism destination this summer and autumn.
Focused on the staycation market, the media driven campaign is expected to deliver a strong tourism dividend to local bars, restaurants, hotels and attractions.
“Having a team of local marketing specialists is key to the delivery of this important investment, all of whom are engaged on a voluntary basis. This is about putting Athlone on the national stage as a top tourist destination in the Hidden Heartlands. This investment would not be possible without the support of Westmeath County Council, Failte Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Leader and the participation of local businesses and Athlone IT.
“The marketing team of Destination Athlone includes Dr Aisling Keenan (Athlone IT ), Gary Walsh (Hodson Bay Group ) and Fergus O’Donovan (Radisson Blu Hotel ). Athlone Chamber is proud to actively support the work of Destination Athlone and the benefits to our industry and retail members is evident in the feedback we receive on an ongoing basis.
“The media campaign is multifaceted targeting digital media, radio and newspapers and spread on a regional and national basis. Athlone is very lucky to have such extensive experience available to us on a voluntary basis, ensuring that we get the best value for our money.
“We encourage all local social media users to share social media posts across all platforms as posted by athlone.ie This is one of the most effective ways of getting our message out there. Athlone is open for business and after the past year, we really encourage people to help get the message out there that Athlone and the region has so much to offer as a base for a much needed long or short-stay holiday,” Alan Shaw, President, Athlone Chamber of Commerce, commented.
