DRAFT December 2019 Dingle Peninsula Visitor Experience Development Plan Eispéiris Cuartaíochta Chorca Dhuibhne Dingle Peninsula – Visitor Experience Development Plan INTRODUCTION CONTENTS Executive Summary The Plan at a Glance ....................................................................3 Section One Key Result Areas and Targets 1.1 Key Result Areas .................................................................12 1.2 Key Performance Indicators ..........................................14 Section Two Setting the Scene 2.1 Our Experience Brands .....................................................16 2.2 Visitor Experience Development Plans .......................18 2.3 How The Plan Was Developed .......................................20 Section Three Where are we now 3.1 Situational Analysis .............................................................22 3.2 Market Challenges ...............................................................25 3.3 Key Insights Informing our Actions - Tourism Industry and Stakeholder Feedback ..........27 Section Four Dingle Peninsula VEDP 4.1 Development Priorities .....................................................33 4.2 VEDP Experience Themes ...............................................36 4.3 Implementation Plan ..........................................................47 Section Five Delivering the plan 5.1 Making it happen .................................................................55 5.2 Measuring Success ..............................................................56 5.3 Environmental considerations ....................................57 Appendix 1 Selected Environmental Indicators, Targets and Monitoring Sources The Cathedral Rocks, Blasket Islands (Note: Unless stated all report images provided by Fáilte Ireland Content Pool or report author) 2 Eispéiris Cuartaíochta Chorca Dhuibhne Dingle Peninsula – Visitor Experience Development Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Dingle Peninsula is a national treasure, a stunningly beautiful place off the beaten path. The area is removed enough to have developed a distinctly Irish, deeply relatable human character to it personified by the residents of the peninsula. There are many elements that combine to create the magic of the destination. It remains one of Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht communities. The richness of the spoken Irish language, the sounds of the spoken word and traditional music contribute to create the character of the area, recognised globally as capturing the spirit of Ireland. Across the peninsula exists the most incredible landscape, untouched and unspoiled by the passage of time. A Dingle Peninsula Visitor Experience Development Plan (DP VEDP) has been developed with the tourism industry and communities to create a platform for destination development to deliver on the mutual goals of all stakeholders. The overarching objectives of the DP VEDP include providing motivational reasons for international tourists to visit and stay in the local communities throughout the Dingle Peninsula and increase the economic value generated by visitors to the destination. The DP VEDP will support the development of tourism across the Dingle Peninsula, evolving from ‘visitor attraction’ to a sustainable year round tourism destination. The purpose of this document is to present the destination tourism priorities and development themes for the Dingle Peninsula, organised into a development framework for adoption as a destination action plan for the next five years. This framework will provide the context for the tourism industry and all stakeholders to work in partnership to create new and improved existing visitor experiences delivered Blasket Sound in a sustainable manner. Develop a sustainable basis for destination development for the Dingle Peninsula centred on creating strong signature, supporting and ancillary experiences delivered through saleable experiences that excite THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE DP VEDP consumers and buyers alike. In doing so, the DP VEDP will seek to promote, sustain and enhance the natural environment of the Plan area. PLAN ARE; Create the conditions to encourage international visitors to immerse themselves actively in the locale; Deliver a Visitor Experience Development Plan (VEDP) as a five interact with people; engage the senses by getting active in nature; attend festivals; learn the history and year destination development plan for the Dingle Peninsula. stories of the places; and enjoying the food and entertainment on offer. The focus is to deliver memorable moments that inspire tourists to not only share their experience with others but also encourage them to Ensure the local experiences are brought to life through the return. development of the optimal mix of hero and ancillary products that motivate, attract and retain visitors into an area. Motivate tourists to visit and stay in the local communities across the Dingle Peninsula through increased dispersion of visitors across all the communities of Dingle Peninsula throughout the year. 3 Eispéiris Cuartaíochta Chorca Dhuibhne Dingle Peninsula – Visitor Experience Development Plan SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OPPORTUNITIES Development and enhancement of the Irish Gaeltacht experience as a strong experience differentiator Rural and Agri Tourism and the ability to integrateKERRY food experiences. CHALLENGES HEAD Development of walking and local heritage / cultural experiences to enhance the Dingle Way as a global Highly seasonal destination. walking destination. Impact of high volumes of tourism traffic at peak times Cultural product provision to expand evening economy options. Ballyheigue Low-value of large volumes of current tourism traffic. Development of wellbeing destination positioningBallyhe basedig uone outdoorBeach and cultural wellbeing provision. Dispersal of visitor overnights across the peninsula. Uniqueness of cultural heritage around literature, music and the arts. R551 R556 Limited levels of dwell time in the destination. Association of the destination as an area for ‘learning’ and ‘self development’ through local culture and Density of tourism activity in Dingle Town in contrast to other parts of the outdoor activities. Banna Strand Abbeydorney Dingle Peninsula. Increasing and promoting environmental enhancement through a sustainable tourism approach. Tourism dividend imbalance between the north and south side of the Dingle Ardfert Peninsula. Challenges of protecting the Irish language and ensuring visitors can interact with the language during their visit. Srón R551 Mountain International standards expected from globally recognised product areas e.g. Bhroin THE MAHAREES Dingle Way. Fenit R558 Increase in visitor numbers with potential to disturb or damage the natural Mount Harbour Brandon Castlegregory Fenit environment. Nature Tralee Reserve Cé Bhréanainn Beach Samphire Tralee Bay (Brandon) Island Nature N21 Mount Castlegregory Reserve Brandon Blennerville Cuas an Bhodaigh R550 R560 N86 Brandon Creek An Clochán Aughacasla (Cloghane) Baurtregaum Camp Slieve Mish R549 Mountains R560 CEANN Baile na nGall Beenoskee SIBÉAL (Ballydavid) N70 R549 Slieve Mish Boolteens Baile an Fheirtéaraigh Mountains (Ballyferriter) An Chonair R561 Castlemaine R559 (Conor Pass) R561 Ionad an Lios Póil Cuan an (Lispole) Annascaul Bhlascaoid Mhóir Daingin N86 CASTLEMAINE Milltown Dún Chaoin R561 HARBOUR INIS TUAISCEART (Dunquin) Inch Ceann Trá Daingean Uí Chúis Strand Cé Dhún Chaoin (Ventry) Killorglin (Dingle) R563 R559 Ceann An Blascaod Mór Radharc na Sléibhe N72 mBlascaodaí Rossbeigh BÁ AN DAINGIN Strand INIS NA BRÓ (DINGLE BAY) Lough Mountain Glenbeigh Caragh Killarney INIS MHIC AOIBHLEÁIN Stage Macgillycuddy Reeks Gap of Kells Carrauntoohil 4Glencar Dunloe N70 County Kerry Geokaun Cahersiveen Moll’s Gap Mountain Knightstown VALENCIA ISLAND Chapeltown Eispéiris Cuartaíochta Chorca Dhuibhne Dingle Peninsula – Visitor Experience Development Plan The destination development framework is structured around three interdependent GLOBAL BRAND LEVERAGING GLOBAL ASSETS AND layers of activity in order to achieve the strategic objectives of the DP VEDP. They EXPERIENCES include; Dingle Peninsula is an international brand and a key asset on the Wild Atlantic Way. The international visitor in today’s tourism economy has increasingly higher A. Achieving the ‘Big Ideas’ through Catalyst Projects (Transformational) expectations. The development of assets such as the Dingle Way has the potential to B. Strategic Development Pillars - Create the conditions for Experience Development become world class through experience innovation, quality experience delivery and (Developing New Experiences) product development. It represents an asset that can harness the energy of the entire C. Elevation Projects - Destination Enablers (Developing the Core) Dingle Peninsula. WHERE TO FOCUS TRANSFORMATIONAL ICONIC IS BEING CHALLENGED Develop world leading experiences The levels of peak season traffic and volumes of coach business is having a negative Years Phase 3 based on delivering on the impact on the destination, visitor experience and the local community. The creation 4-5 opportunity of the Big Ideas LT Development of of a sustainable approach to traffic management will addressed as a priority action to World Class immersive examine immediate and long term solutions. experiences linking all strategic pillars ADJACENT / DEVELOPING SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DINGLE PENINSULA Years Phase 2 Expanding to develop new Visitor dispersion remains a key challenge. There is a very