This article is from page 9 of the 2007-08-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
SOME of Clare’s lesser known tour- ist sites and attractions are being tar- geted by Clare tourist organisations who embark on a week-long promo- tional trip to the US next week.
Clare County Council, Shannon Development, the Clare Tourism Fo- rum, the Clare Tourist Council and Shannon Heritage will be promoting some of Clare’s lesser-known attrac- tions at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin.
“The promotional campaigns of national bodies such as Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland Limited are un- doubtedly crucial to the overall suc- cess and development of the industry throughout the island at a very chal- lenging time in the global tourism market,” said Tomas Mac Conmara, Acting Heritage Officer, Clare Coun- ty Council.
“The Clare Tourism Forum and Shannon Development have under- taken a huge amount of promotional work in this area. However, the pro- motion of the lesser-known heritage attractions throughout the country 1s often overlooked even though they hold the key to revitalising rural communities and contributing to the sustained growth of the Irish tourist sector.”
The sites that the organisations hope
to sell to prospective tour organisers include the county’s 5,000-year-old portal tombs, its 23 surviving cran- nogs, 220 holy wells, King Brian Bort’s doorway in Tuamgraney, the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, over 100 12th-century castles and 224 recorded surviving ringforts.
“Clare boasts some of the world’s most famous heritage sites and tour- ist attractions. However, the county has much more to offer than just the famous tourism landmarks with a vast array of local heritage sites and attractions available to tourists,” he continued. “If promoted at local, na- tional and international level, they are likely to benefit from existing tourism business in the region, as well as attract other visitors.”
Marie Slattery from Shannon Her- itage said we would be doing our- selves an injustice to forget the less- er-known attractions.
“Everyone knows that Knappogue Castle is ideal for weddings and the castle’s medieval banquets, but Knappogue’s walled garden and cas- tle tour as a daytime attraction help to keep the visitor in the area for longer, benefiting everyone including the actual visitor,’ she said.
“Promoting the lesser-known attrac- tions in conjunction with the world- renowned products is the only way to show the true promise of our region.”