Sustainable tourism the way forward for Longford
Tourism Strategy 2023-2027: ‘Future is bright and Longford just needs to keep on building’
A fresh vision for tourism in County Longford has been unveiled in the form of a new five-year strategy.
With the principle of sustainable tourism at its heart, the “County Longford Tourism Strategy: Developing a connected sustainable tourism destination” was launched earlier this month by Longford Tourism.
It is a roadmap for tourism in County Longford up to and including 2027 and is available to view and download from Longford.ie.
Sustainable tourism forms the basis of the strategy, accounting for the needs of visitors, tourism industry stakeholders, local communities, and the environment.
The key tourism assets in Longford are outlined and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands vision and objectives are highlighted, along with the relevant policies and plans that this strategy supports.
The range of strengths, opportunities and challenges facing Longford are also detailed in the document, which was compiled following a robust consultation process. Data was gathered through surveys, open public consultation and from the members of the tourism committee and other stakeholders.
A key part of the strategy involves promoting County Longford as a destination of choice. Work on promoting County Longford at national and international level is already well underway, continuing this year with representation of the county at trade events like the Holiday World Show in Dublin in January.
The Holiday World Show is firmly established as Ireland's largest and best attended annual public exhibition, providing the appropriate platform to engage with ideal target audiences. The event is a rich global marketplace for deals and destinations, featuring exhibitors from close to home and from all four corners of the world. It presents just about every style of vacation experience, alongside an array of travel-themed entertainment, complemented by competitions, attractions and special show-only offers.
Among the breadth of exhibitors, County Longford’s wonderful trails were particularly well received at the Holiday World Show demonstrating the excellent quality of tourism assets that the county has to offer.
Speaking following the launch, Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Colm Murray said, “This new Longford Tourism Strategy is about developing this county as a connected, sustainable tourism destination. With strong foundations in place that Longford has progressively built on in recent years, the future is bright. Longford just needs to keep on building!”
Chief Executive of Longford County Council Paddy Mahon said, “With multiple funding streams available, for example from the Just Transition Fund as well as our Government Departments, Longford County Council is looking forward to working with the tourism operators and entrepreneurs in Longford who are already coming forward with ideas and projects to enhance Longford’s Tourism offering.”
For further information, including the monthly local events guide, check out Longford.ie and follow Longford Tourism and Longfordcoco on social media to stay up-to-date on all there is to do in County Longford.
Main Photo Caption: Pictured at the launch of County Longford Tourism Strategy are l to r; Director of Services with Longford County Council Michael Nevin; Chief Executive of Longford County Council Paddy Mahon; Manager of The Knights and Conquests Heritage Centre and member of County Longford Tourism Committee Deirdre Orme; Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Colm Murray; Longford Tourism Officer Dympna Reilly; Siobhan Monaghan of Longford Tourism; Just Transition Tourism Activator Ciaran Mullooly and Loretta Grogan, of Castlecore House, Ballymahon who is also a member of the County Longford Tourism Committee Picture: Shelley Corcoran