Galway city and county welcomed almost 2.2 million visitors in 2023, with July, August and September the busiest months for this central node of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way tourism product.
Foreign and domestic tourists generated a whopping €821 million in revenue for Galway during the last year for which there are figures, and a new draft Galway Destination Experience Development Plan (DEDP ), from Fáilte Ireland, shared amongst local industry stakeholders this week, outlines ambitious ideas to increase this spend in the city, and disperse it throughout the county.
Galway welcomed 969,000 foreign visitors in 2023, generating €585 million for the local economy, and 1.2 million domestic visitors, generating €236 million.
Almost half of international visitors to Galway came from continental Europe, while over a quarter come from North America. Almost one-in-five come from Britain.
Fáilte Ireland analysis shows the largest number of visitors travel as a couple, or with friends, and the national tourism agency warns that, amongst visitors, Galway is predominantly associated with night-time activities, and must increase its attractiveness for family holidays.
Fáilte Ireland’s as-yet-unfinalised, 60-page draft plan for Galway, sets out nine main aims, and dozens of specific actions and ideas for developing urban tourism.
The nine are: dispersing visitors outside the hotspot of the city core; developing active tourism networks amongst city neighbourhoods; growing day and evening visitor experiences; investing in visitor attractions; improve activities for families; elevate bilingualism; strengthen the festival calendar; celebrate Galway as an urban food destination; agree a sustainable tourism approach.
IDEAS
More specific suggestions include linking maritime heritage sites such as the Claddagh Basin with a Blueway, and encouraging water sports in the city area, including on Galway bay and the Corrib. There is to be a tourism element to certain city neighbourhoods, such as Woodquay, the Docklands area, Latin Quarter, West End, Eyre Square area and Salthill, and initiatives to link the city’s tourism offering with nearby coastal villages in the county.
There is to be engagement with non-tourism sectors, blending sciences with the creative industries, alongside third-level innovation partnerships to develop Galway as a leader in urban tourism sustainability.
The draft report lays emphasis on improving Galway’s designations as a city of film and food, and proposes building a multi-purpose indoor food market and food hall, designed for day and night-time activities. Developing a municipal arts and cultural venue is emphasised in the draft tourism report, and exploring the tourism potential of the city’s two distinct Gaeltacht areas.
Other noticeable suggestions include an outdoor swimming pool plaza, or lido, for Salthill, a “Macnas visitor experience” in the city, attracting tourists to University of Galway’s campus, regenerating Augustine Hill, developing a Claddagh ring “experience”, separately linking medieval, musical and med-tech points of interest, pedestrianisation of Middle Street, building a new tourist office at Eyre Square, improving sports tourism for equine, soccer, rugby and GAA events, and floating a permanent pontoon on Lough Corrib for water sports.
A continental-style “Aire de Service” area designated for camper vans in the city is in the draft plan, as are proposals on how best to cater for cruise ship passengers, and the tourist potential of the Port of Galway’s redevelopment.
County-wide routes, such as the Connemara greenway to Clifden, Athlone greenway, cycling infrastructure and Blueway kayak routes are mentioned in the plan, alongside new, shorter city trails, including to Menlo, Terryland and Merlin castles.
Business and conference tourism receives a lot of attention in Fáilte Ireland’s report on Galway, as does the challenges and opportunities for sustainable and environmentally sensitive tourism.
Traffic and transport issues in Galway city receive several mentions in the DEDP, but, surprisingly, there is very little concern expressed about accommodation during a national housing emergency.
Implementation of the plan is to be overseen by a “working group” of industry stakeholders up to 2030.
