Developing the Kilkenny destination and visitor experience is the focus of a conference locally today.
Fáilte Ireland is hosting an international tourism gathering at the River Court Hotel to discuss the future vision of tourism for the county.
It’s part of the process to create a new Kilkenny Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP), a five-year sustainable tourism destination development plan for Kilkenny City and County.
Attendees are hearing from international tourism destination experts Professor Terry Stevens (Stevens & Associates), Dr Nagore Uresandi Espinosa (CEO In2Destination, Bilbao) and Mark O’Connell (Repucon Consulting) as they share insights into what destinations like Kilkenny can do to establish themselves as a world-class tourist destination. Fáilte Ireland representatives will also address members of the Kilkenny tourism sector at the conference as they progress the National Tourism Development Authority’s strategic plans to further develop the region.
Head of Ireland’s Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland Brian O’Flynn says “Kilkenny is an important part of Ireland’s Ancient East, and has a huge amount of potential to attract domestic and international visitors. Today’s conference is a wonderful opportunity for local tourism industry stakeholders to learn from international tourism experts, and use those learnings to collaborate with Fáilte Ireland, Kilkenny County Council and tourism industry colleagues to further develop Kilkenny as a world-class tourist destination. The Kilkenny Destination Experience Development Plan, which is currently in consultation with industry, will outline a strategic five-year framework for the development of tourism in Kilkenny within Ireland’s Ancient East.”
While the Chief Executive of the local authority, Colette Byrne, says “Kilkenny County Council is delighted to be working with Fáilte Ireland to commence the consultation for the Kilkenny Destination Experience Development Plan to build on the strengths of Kilkenny as a key tourism destination. Today’s international conference is a fantastic opportunity for the Kilkenny tourism industry to learn from and be inspired by international experts with the view to further developing a sustainable plan for tourism in the county.”
