Four years ago, Miriam Kennedy made the move from Dublin to Galway and the Wild Atlantic Way. She loved it right from the start. A happy coincidence really, as she is now the woman in charge of that very Wild Atlantic Way and what is one of the most successful branding initiatives ever undertaken by Irish tourism authorities.
Mind you, it was her husband who tempted her west. He is a Galway man who is passionate about the sea and their home is barely 200 metres from the beach at Inverin. Both are fluent Irish speakers and are raising their four-year-old and 20-month-old twins to be fluent in the language as well.
Miriam Kennedy will speak at the Agri Careers Expo on February 14 in the RDS.
But back to Miriam’s role as head of Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, a project that proved hugely successful from day one.
“The Wild Atlantic Way is only in its infancy really and yet it’s so familiar it feels like it’s always been here. It was set up to attract more visitors to the west coast and extend the tourism season – you must remember, the season in the west of Ireland only lasted eight to ten weeks and we required a really positive disrupter to make a difference.”
She credits former Fáilte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn, with coming up with the catchy title – Wild Atlantic Way.
“The simplicity of the brand captured the imagination and it took off.”
Considerable thought went into planning the coastal route, stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal to Kinsale in Co Cork. There are 188 discovery points along the route, where visitors can stop off and learn more – these are community driven and the communities own their own stories. Miriam says the buy-in was and is brilliant.
“Everyone worked together and communities remain our key partners along with the local authorities.”
Having successfully launched in Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Way was launched internationally to 400 buyers at Meitheal 2013, Ireland’s largest travel trade show – and again it caught the imagination. Since its launch, international visitor numbers have increased by one million, which shows the appeal of the Wild Atlantic Way to international markets.
Miriam Kennedy, head of the Wild Atlantic Way initiative, at a viewing point overlooking Galway Bay in Salthill, Co Galway. \ David Ruffles
New series of looped ways
The next stage of the project will see the development of 10 planned Wild Atlantic Way looped drives that start and finish on the Wild Atlantic Way. The first one is the Shannon Estuary Way, which will be launched in November and has 11 information points, allowing visitors to pull in and learn more about the area. Two other looped drives – the Mulroy Bay Drive in Donegal and the Burren Way in Clare – are currently being developed.
“The looped drives will encourage visitors to explore other parts of the region and stay longer in each area and that’s vital to create employment and economic benefits for local communities and businesses. The benefits of tourism must seep into the local communities.
“As an example, the Cliffs of Moher attracts massive visitor numbers but very few remain overnight in the county. We are now working on a visitor master plan with Clare County Council for the cliffs to encourage people to stay in the area and to ensure that this world-famous site can be enjoyed across all seasons, in a way that is sustainable and eases visitor congestion at peak times.
The looped drives and a navigational strategy for the eastern part of the Burren, which is currently being developed, will also be key drivers in helping to ease congestion and extend the benefits of tourism across the whole region.
Another strategic initiative being driven by Fáilte Ireland is the creation of visitor experience development plans for specific areas along the Wild Atlantic Way, such as the Skellig Coast and the Connemara Coast and Aran Islands, which aim to drive visitor numbers to lesser-known areas and attractions, increasing dwell time and revenue without compromising the environment or culture of the region. These plans are developed in collaboration with local stakeholders, tourism businesses and communities.
“Local consultation and input is central to the creation of these plans and this inclusive approach gives local stakeholders the opportunity to shape visitor experiences that are unique to their area. At a recent meeting, we reckoned it was the first time north and south Connemara and the islands had come together to develop a joint plan.”
Slieve League, Donegal. \ Paul Lindsay
Keeping tourists locally is everyone’s business
Miriam maintains that once you get tourists into an area, it’s critical to keep them there. And it’s everyone’s responsibility. Fáilte Ireland piloted the local experts programme in Limerick, Sligo and Donegal this summer, with great results, and aims to roll the programme out along the Wild Atlantic Way in 2019.
“The target attendees are those who engage with visitors to an area, such as petrol station operators and shop assistants. We want them to visit their local beauty spots or artisan producers so that when they meet a tourist, they will encourage them to stay in the area.”
“Westport is a great town for holding onto tourists and it recently became the first town to be awarded Fáilte Ireland’s destination award for excellence in customer service. For instance, if a B&B or hotel is unable to give you a room, they will not let you off the phone until they get you a bed for the night. That’s not just a bed for the night, it’s also dinner, entry into visitor attractions and spending in the town. It’s money that stays in the area.”
Extending the tourism season is a key strategy of the Wild Atlantic Way. Clifden was a six-month tourism town and now it’s 10 months, Donegal town has gone to 12 months.
“The Wild Atlantic Way is giving people the confidence to stay open that bit longer because they know the route is being promoted. If they keep their doors open, there will now be people to come through them.”
The looped drives will encourage visitors to explore other parts of the region and stay longer in each area; and that’s vital to create employment and economic benefits for local communities
Live like a local
So what can farming families do to encourage tourists to stay local and benefit from the business themselves?
“Farmers don’t think anything of farming a few hundred metres from the shore or on high slopes with fabulous views. But if you are a tourist from China or North America, this can be extraordinary and something they don’t see in their daily lives. Experiential tourism is one of the big global shifts, where tourists don’t just want to come in, take a photo and drive off again. They want to engage with the local culture and people. They want to ‘live like a local’.
“Taking in a visit with a local farm is a really attractive experience. Farming tours are taking off and these can be done to suit the farmer, so if you are a farming family looking for alternative income streams, I’d advise you to come talk to us. We have officers in every main hub and they would love to hear your ideas. If you have something on the farm that you want to show us, we can call out and advise you. We can refine your ideas and hold your hand along the way.”
Now there’s an invitation farming families along the Wild Atlantic Way would do well to heed.
Skellig Michael in Co Kerry, the location of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Skellig Michael was founded in 588 by Saint Fionán. For 600 years the island was a centre of monastic life for Irish Christian monks. \ Valerie O’Sullivan
First steps
Hailing from Ballyhale, Miriam is a proud Kilkenny woman and a big hurling fan and says it’s hard not to be when the Shefflins are your neighbours. They have high hopes for the children with Kilkenny and Galway hurling genes. For secondary school, she boarded in Callan, which she describes as a great school and the added bonus of being a boarder knocked the corners off her.
After school, Miriam headed to UCD, where she completed a degree in English and French. A real attraction of the degree was that it included a year abroad. Miriam studied in Lyon and says it was an eye-opening experience for her.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I chose my arts degree because I loved English and French. I think it’s important for young people to concentrate on what they really like rather than focusing on points.”
After college, Miriam applied for the first IBEC graduate programme and got it. Her placement was with a company that ran international conferences and events and fluent French was a core requirement of the job.
“I thought I was pretty fluent at French but this was a different league of language proficiency. When you have explained delays and dealt with sales calls in any foreign language, you become completely fluent very quickly.”
You’d think with organising big events the last thing Miriam would describe herself as being was easy going. “I’m very easy going by nature, but I have a strong work ethic and I double and triple check everything and that makes me extremely organised.”
She worked as an events manager in incentive tourism and sports tourism for several years before heading off to travel the world.
I’m very easy going by nature, but I have a strong work ethic and I double and triple check everything and that makes me extremely organised
Big events
When Miriam returned home, she was offered the job of managing the Dublin Convention Bureau. This later merged with Dublin Tourism and subsequently with Failte Ireland. In under two years, she and her team grew convention business from €16m to €40m.
“This is a really big niche sector. Convention delegates are worth, on average, €1,650 each to the country, so the spin-off business is huge. However, the lead time for a convention is one to three years, so there’s a lot of ground work that has to be done.”
Promoted to head of business tourism and events, it was Miriam’s job to identify, bid for and win international conventions and events for Ireland.
Renvyle beach, Connemara.
“We took the IDA approach and targeted what we could win. Ireland is strong in medical sciences, pharmaceuticals, education and ICT and that’s what we went after.”
So what is our unique selling point as a country? “We are good on hygiene factors such as air access, hotel infrastructure and transport. Interestingly, safety is now an issue and a city is not even considered if it is not seen as safe. It’s become an issue with Americans, however, Europeans are not as sensitive to it. Ireland is seen as a very safe destination
“Then you must create a strong emotional attachment with the country. Our conference ambassadors are really good at that and potential delegates know they are going to have a fantastic time in Ireland. Our music, culture and vibrancy are what makes this country special.”
Read more
Top 10 spots to take the family
Big vision for Loop Head Peninsula
Four years ago, Miriam Kennedy made the move from Dublin to Galway and the Wild Atlantic Way. She loved it right from the start. A happy coincidence really, as she is now the woman in charge of that very Wild Atlantic Way and what is one of the most successful branding initiatives ever undertaken by Irish tourism authorities.
Mind you, it was her husband who tempted her west. He is a Galway man who is passionate about the sea and their home is barely 200 metres from the beach at Inverin. Both are fluent Irish speakers and are raising their four-year-old and 20-month-old twins to be fluent in the language as well.
Miriam Kennedy will speak at the Agri Careers Expo on February 14 in the RDS.
But back to Miriam’s role as head of Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, a project that proved hugely successful from day one.
“The Wild Atlantic Way is only in its infancy really and yet it’s so familiar it feels like it’s always been here. It was set up to attract more visitors to the west coast and extend the tourism season – you must remember, the season in the west of Ireland only lasted eight to ten weeks and we required a really positive disrupter to make a difference.”
She credits former Fáilte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn, with coming up with the catchy title – Wild Atlantic Way.
“The simplicity of the brand captured the imagination and it took off.”
Considerable thought went into planning the coastal route, stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal to Kinsale in Co Cork. There are 188 discovery points along the route, where visitors can stop off and learn more – these are community driven and the communities own their own stories. Miriam says the buy-in was and is brilliant.
“Everyone worked together and communities remain our key partners along with the local authorities.”
Having successfully launched in Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Way was launched internationally to 400 buyers at Meitheal 2013, Ireland’s largest travel trade show – and again it caught the imagination. Since its launch, international visitor numbers have increased by one million, which shows the appeal of the Wild Atlantic Way to international markets.
Miriam Kennedy, head of the Wild Atlantic Way initiative, at a viewing point overlooking Galway Bay in Salthill, Co Galway. \ David Ruffles
New series of looped ways
The next stage of the project will see the development of 10 planned Wild Atlantic Way looped drives that start and finish on the Wild Atlantic Way. The first one is the Shannon Estuary Way, which will be launched in November and has 11 information points, allowing visitors to pull in and learn more about the area. Two other looped drives – the Mulroy Bay Drive in Donegal and the Burren Way in Clare – are currently being developed.
“The looped drives will encourage visitors to explore other parts of the region and stay longer in each area and that’s vital to create employment and economic benefits for local communities and businesses. The benefits of tourism must seep into the local communities.
“As an example, the Cliffs of Moher attracts massive visitor numbers but very few remain overnight in the county. We are now working on a visitor master plan with Clare County Council for the cliffs to encourage people to stay in the area and to ensure that this world-famous site can be enjoyed across all seasons, in a way that is sustainable and eases visitor congestion at peak times.
The looped drives and a navigational strategy for the eastern part of the Burren, which is currently being developed, will also be key drivers in helping to ease congestion and extend the benefits of tourism across the whole region.
Another strategic initiative being driven by Fáilte Ireland is the creation of visitor experience development plans for specific areas along the Wild Atlantic Way, such as the Skellig Coast and the Connemara Coast and Aran Islands, which aim to drive visitor numbers to lesser-known areas and attractions, increasing dwell time and revenue without compromising the environment or culture of the region. These plans are developed in collaboration with local stakeholders, tourism businesses and communities.
“Local consultation and input is central to the creation of these plans and this inclusive approach gives local stakeholders the opportunity to shape visitor experiences that are unique to their area. At a recent meeting, we reckoned it was the first time north and south Connemara and the islands had come together to develop a joint plan.”
Slieve League, Donegal. \ Paul Lindsay
Keeping tourists locally is everyone’s business
Miriam maintains that once you get tourists into an area, it’s critical to keep them there. And it’s everyone’s responsibility. Fáilte Ireland piloted the local experts programme in Limerick, Sligo and Donegal this summer, with great results, and aims to roll the programme out along the Wild Atlantic Way in 2019.
“The target attendees are those who engage with visitors to an area, such as petrol station operators and shop assistants. We want them to visit their local beauty spots or artisan producers so that when they meet a tourist, they will encourage them to stay in the area.”
“Westport is a great town for holding onto tourists and it recently became the first town to be awarded Fáilte Ireland’s destination award for excellence in customer service. For instance, if a B&B or hotel is unable to give you a room, they will not let you off the phone until they get you a bed for the night. That’s not just a bed for the night, it’s also dinner, entry into visitor attractions and spending in the town. It’s money that stays in the area.”
Extending the tourism season is a key strategy of the Wild Atlantic Way. Clifden was a six-month tourism town and now it’s 10 months, Donegal town has gone to 12 months.
“The Wild Atlantic Way is giving people the confidence to stay open that bit longer because they know the route is being promoted. If they keep their doors open, there will now be people to come through them.”
The looped drives will encourage visitors to explore other parts of the region and stay longer in each area; and that’s vital to create employment and economic benefits for local communities
Live like a local
So what can farming families do to encourage tourists to stay local and benefit from the business themselves?
“Farmers don’t think anything of farming a few hundred metres from the shore or on high slopes with fabulous views. But if you are a tourist from China or North America, this can be extraordinary and something they don’t see in their daily lives. Experiential tourism is one of the big global shifts, where tourists don’t just want to come in, take a photo and drive off again. They want to engage with the local culture and people. They want to ‘live like a local’.
“Taking in a visit with a local farm is a really attractive experience. Farming tours are taking off and these can be done to suit the farmer, so if you are a farming family looking for alternative income streams, I’d advise you to come talk to us. We have officers in every main hub and they would love to hear your ideas. If you have something on the farm that you want to show us, we can call out and advise you. We can refine your ideas and hold your hand along the way.”
Now there’s an invitation farming families along the Wild Atlantic Way would do well to heed.
Skellig Michael in Co Kerry, the location of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Skellig Michael was founded in 588 by Saint Fionán. For 600 years the island was a centre of monastic life for Irish Christian monks. \ Valerie O’Sullivan
First steps
Hailing from Ballyhale, Miriam is a proud Kilkenny woman and a big hurling fan and says it’s hard not to be when the Shefflins are your neighbours. They have high hopes for the children with Kilkenny and Galway hurling genes. For secondary school, she boarded in Callan, which she describes as a great school and the added bonus of being a boarder knocked the corners off her.
After school, Miriam headed to UCD, where she completed a degree in English and French. A real attraction of the degree was that it included a year abroad. Miriam studied in Lyon and says it was an eye-opening experience for her.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I chose my arts degree because I loved English and French. I think it’s important for young people to concentrate on what they really like rather than focusing on points.”
After college, Miriam applied for the first IBEC graduate programme and got it. Her placement was with a company that ran international conferences and events and fluent French was a core requirement of the job.
“I thought I was pretty fluent at French but this was a different league of language proficiency. When you have explained delays and dealt with sales calls in any foreign language, you become completely fluent very quickly.”
You’d think with organising big events the last thing Miriam would describe herself as being was easy going. “I’m very easy going by nature, but I have a strong work ethic and I double and triple check everything and that makes me extremely organised.”
She worked as an events manager in incentive tourism and sports tourism for several years before heading off to travel the world.
I’m very easy going by nature, but I have a strong work ethic and I double and triple check everything and that makes me extremely organised
Big events
When Miriam returned home, she was offered the job of managing the Dublin Convention Bureau. This later merged with Dublin Tourism and subsequently with Failte Ireland. In under two years, she and her team grew convention business from €16m to €40m.
“This is a really big niche sector. Convention delegates are worth, on average, €1,650 each to the country, so the spin-off business is huge. However, the lead time for a convention is one to three years, so there’s a lot of ground work that has to be done.”
Promoted to head of business tourism and events, it was Miriam’s job to identify, bid for and win international conventions and events for Ireland.
Renvyle beach, Connemara.
“We took the IDA approach and targeted what we could win. Ireland is strong in medical sciences, pharmaceuticals, education and ICT and that’s what we went after.”
So what is our unique selling point as a country? “We are good on hygiene factors such as air access, hotel infrastructure and transport. Interestingly, safety is now an issue and a city is not even considered if it is not seen as safe. It’s become an issue with Americans, however, Europeans are not as sensitive to it. Ireland is seen as a very safe destination
“Then you must create a strong emotional attachment with the country. Our conference ambassadors are really good at that and potential delegates know they are going to have a fantastic time in Ireland. Our music, culture and vibrancy are what makes this country special.”
Read more
Top 10 spots to take the family
Big vision for Loop Head Peninsula
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