Cork could share €1m fund for four ‘tourist towns'

A ‘DESTINATION’ town in the county could get a cash boost of up to €500,000 if it shows it’s attractive enough to tourists.

Failte Ireland has €15.5m to invest in order to boost the attractiveness and tourism appeal of up to 62 towns throughout the country. 

It’s part of a drive for a better regional spread of overseas and domestic visitors and spend.

Through the scheme, every local authority in the country will be able to bid for funding of between €250,000 and €500,000 to develop up to two towns in their area which have the potential to become ‘destination towns’ for tourists. Both Cork City Council and Cork County Council will be eligible to bid for funding, which means up to four towns around county Cork could benefit from a total of €1m.

With Fáilte Ireland research consistently showing that attractive towns and cities are key motivators for overseas holidaymakers coming to Ireland, the new scheme will provide funding to Councils to enhance public spaces such as squares, streetscapes and markets, in a way that will engage tourists and enhance their experience in key towns.

This could include spaces for food and craft markets, areas for town centre events, public art displays as well as orientation and signage to help visitors explore a town’s local heritage.

The ‘destination towns’ will need to demonstrate their capacity and appeal to attract more international visitors to stay overnight – a key driver of spend. 

To be successful in their funding submissions, Councils will be expected to identify towns that have at least one visitor attraction of scale that can drive tourism demand, a range of things to see and do for two days, a selection of accommodation and a range of food offerings.