National Parks & Wildlife Service Introduction to Tourism in the National Parks & Nature Reserves NPWS 04 May 2017 NPWS- What do we do? • Conservation • Designation • Implementation • Promotion • To manage, maintain and develop State-owned National Parks and Nature Reserves. NPWS 04 May 2017 Today • NPWS • National Parks & Reserves • Tourism and Strategic Partnership • NPs and the Community NPWS 04 May 2017 National Parks & Nature Reserves • Six National Parks • Seventy-eight Nature Reserves • 60,000 hectares of land NPWS 04 May 2017 7 National Parks NPWS 04 May 2017 Killarney National Park NPWS 04 May 2017 Wicklow Mountains National Park NPWS 04 May 2017 NPWS 04 May 2017 The Burren NPWS 04 May 2017 Connemara National Park NPWS 04 May 2017 NPWS 04 May 2017 Ballycroy National Park NPWS 04 May 2017 NPWS 04 May 2017 NPWS 04 May 2017 Glenveagh National Park NPWS 04 May 2017 NPWS 04 May 2017 Nature Reserves • Sixty-eight of the eighty Nature Reserves established are on land owned by the State, the remaining twelve are on non-state lands. • Nature Reserves cover over 18,000 hectares, and a number, such as Coole Park, Sceilig Mhichil and Glendalough, are important historical sites in their own right. NPWS 04 May 2017 Wexford Wildfowl Reserve NPWS 04 May 2017 Nature Reserves No. annual visitors Nature Reserve Est. Size (ha.) (000s) Coole Park Garryland 1983 405 230 Glengarriff 1991 300 N/A Union Wood N/A 60 N/A Dromore 1985 370 N/A Inch Wildfowl 2002 N/A 70,000 NPWS 04 May 2017 Nature-based tourism • Nature based tourism is a large and growing component of international tourism. • Attracting 8 billion visitors annually and worth $600 billion annually to local economies. • Ireland’s National Parks have the potential to become ‘must visit’ National Parks and combat their low level of awareness in the international tourism market. NPWS 04 May 2017 Great Escapers % Visit a nature reserve/ 92 national park Walking (up to 5km) 84 NPWS 04 May 2017 Culturally Curious % Visit a nature reserve/ 93 national park Walking (up to 5km) 85 Hiking / cross-country 68 walking (more than 5km) NPWS 04 May 2017 Easy Going Socialiser % Visit a nature reserve/ 86 national park Walking (up to 5km) 81 NPWS 04 May 2017 NPWS 04 May 2017 Strategic Partnership • Fáilte Ireland and NPWS are now working together to identify visitor experience investment opportunities on NPWS properties which will deliver on the strategic objectives of the brand propositions (WAW, IAE ) NPWS 04 May 2017 Strategic Partnership 1. Identify opportunities to develop and promote visitor experiences which will enhance the tourism offering at Ireland’s National Parks and Nature Reserves and encourage tourism growth 2. Focus on ways to enhance and promote the visitor experience in the five National Parks along the Wild Atlantic Way 3. To leverage the collective value of the national network of parks as a whole and to make Ireland’s National Parks more compelling in the international travel marketplace 4. Conserve and protect the natural environments of the National Parks for the enjoyment of future generations NPWS 04 May 2017 National Parks and You • Connemara : In approx. 2002 a land swap was carried out between Connemara West and the NPWS to provide sports facilities and Social Housing for the Community and the rapidly increasing Campus of Letterfrack Furniture College(Affiliated to GMIT) which currently has 250 students. • In 2013, in Cooperation with GMIT furniture college we planted several hectares of Native Woodland Scheme in Connemara National Park, In an informal MOU we agreed to allow access to GMIT for educational and training workshops and Staff and students at GMIT Furniture college were heavily involved in the planting NPWSand 04 Maymaintenance 2017 of this project National Parks & You • In 2014) a Poetry Trail was officially opened by President Michael D Higgins at Connemara National Park. • Close association with the Connemara Beekeepers Society and have several beehives on our lands that helps to promote and conserve the rare and endangered Irish Black Bee. • Letterfrack Film Society has its base in our Audio Visual theatre. • We also have close connections with the Connemara Pony Society and assist in promoting the native Connemara Pony in Connemara National Park. • We have close ties with the local Scout groups and facilitate them in their outdoor activities NPWS 04 May 2017 National Parks and You • Killarney – Artist-in-residence Scheme • Glenveagh o Advice Bike hire group o Local Business Glenveagh Castle Hire o Ballycroy: The Mayo Dark Sky Park was launched in September 2016 in Ballycroy National Park NPWS 04 May 2017 National Parks and You • Visitor Centres • Meeting Rooms • Walking trails • Education Centres • Expert Staff • Not for Profit The Parks and Reserves are YOURS. NPWS 04 May 2017 .