More than 70 tourism businesses from Sligo attended a special Destination Sligo networking event in the Clayton Hotel Sligo on Tuesday.
The event was organised by Fáilte Ireland to provide collaborative networking opportunities for tourism businesses in the Sligo area to meet and share insights and information.
The event also created a platform for industry to network, with the intent of fostering greater collaboration and cross-selling between accommodation providers and visitor experiences (including activity providers and attractions), attract more visitors and encourage them to stay longer and spend more in the northern half of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Earlier this year, Fáilte Ireland launched a new five-year plan to help drive and sustain tourism in Co. Sligo.
The Sligo Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP) aims to create a sustainable tourism destination by progressing a range of key initiatives that will disperse tourists across the wider destination and strengthen the value of tourism to the local community by providing sustainable employment opportunities.
The Sligo DEDP is now being implemented, driven by the Destination Sligo Forum, a voluntary group drawn from across the tourism and hospitality industry in Sligo, tasked with delivering on the ambitious actions set out in the DEDP.
Speaking at the event, Luke Murray, Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Manager, said: “We were pleased to have so many Sligo-based tourism businesses attend our Destination Sligo networking event at the Clayton Hotel Sligo. By bringing a mix of tourism businesses together for this important workshop, we can help to strengthen connections and encourage greater collaboration within the destination.”
“This will help to raise the profile of the fantastic variety of accommodation, attractions, activities and experiences in Sligo to encourage the visitor to stay longer and spend more money We are also confident that the Sligo Destination and Experience Development Plan has the potential to significantly increase Sligo’s domestic and international appeal as the outdoor activity and adventure capital of the Wild Atlantic Way.”