Rural Waterford Visitor Experience Development Plan 2021-2023 Visitor Experience Development Plan Visitor Experience Development Plan Image Credit: Munster Vales Image Credit: Celtic Routes Image Credit: WCCC Image Credit: Munster Vales Image Credit: Celtic Routes Image Credit: John Foley Images Image Credit: Celtic Routes Image Credit: Celtic Routes 2 3 Visitor Experience Development Plan KPMG Future Analytics Visitor Experience Development Plan KPMG Future Analytics VISITOR EXPERIENCE TableTABLE of OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN ContentsCONTENTS SECTION ONE Introduction 13 SECTION TWO Destination Analysis 19 SECTION THREE Rural Waterford Visitor Experiences 35 SECTION FOUR Visitor Experience Plan 51 SECTION FIVE Monitoring and Evaluation 67 SECTION SIX Appendix 69 Image Credit: Celtic Routes 4 5 Visitor Experience Development Plan Visitor Experience Development Plan Participating Executive Summary Regions, Project Partners. Norway Finland (FI) This Visitor Experience The objective of the Interreg Local Offering specific experiences rooted Institute of Avanced Studies (HU) Cultural Flavours project is to in local history and the preserved Savonlinna Development Services Ltd. (FI) improve policies supporting smaller, Sweden cultural legacy of communities adds Institute of Tourism (HR) Development Plan (VEDP), has more rural areas to fully maximise unique flavours and excitement to Ireland (IE) Waterford City and County Council (IE) Latvia (LV) been funded by the Department the potential of their unique culture the experience of the visitor and and heritage. Attracting tourists to positions these areas as authentic Municipality of Vittorio Veneto (IT) less recognised places can create destinations that can simultaneously Department of cultural heritage, University of Bologna (IT) of Rural and Community UK a more even distribution of tourism sustain the local cultural heritage Piga Planning Region (LV) Development and Waterford while at the same time upgrading the and create better prospects for local Municipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL) authentic cultural heritage offering. communities. Harghita County Council (RO) Poland City & County Council under Netherlands (NL) the Town and Village Renewal Ukraine Scheme - Covid 19 Accelerated Germnay Spain Austria The objective of the Interreg Switzerland Measure, and conducted Hungary (HU) Local Cultural Flavours Croatia (HR) Romanio (RO) as part of the INTERREG project is to improve policies Italy supporting smaller, more programme Local Flavours. Black Sea rural areas to fully maximise the potential of their unique France culture and heritage Greece Turkey 1 2 Visitor Experience Development Plan Visitor Experience Development Plan The Waterford Visitor Experience The Waterford Visitor Experience “The Waterford Development Plan aims to identify existing Development Plan has undergone and potential compelling experiences Appropriate Assessment Screening Visitor Experience that bring rural Waterford to life. It builds by KPMG Future Analytics which has Development Plan on the Interreg Local Flavours ethos determined that proposals will not have a aims to identify M8 of delivering memorable moments to significant environmental impact. visitors. The Waterford Visitor Experience existing and Development Plan also aims to increase potential compelling County Kilkenny the dispersion and numbers of visitors experiences The objective of this VEDP is to: Waterford has an enviable range N24 M9 to the towns and villages of rural » enable rural Waterford of tourism resources. There are Waterford. It seeks to increase tourism that bring rural communities to create and world-class visitor attractions in Carrick-On-Suir revenue in the towns, villages, and tourism promote coherent visitor the county’s urban areas with a Waterford to life.” M8 County Tipperary businesses within rural Waterford in a experiences creating a distinct growing and exceptional offer in Comeragh Uplands M9 sustainable way. It supports a sustainable identity that can be used to drive Waterford City. The focus of this Portlaw rural economy based on low-impact visitor footfall and encourage visitor experience development Waterford Greenway Waterford activity tourism and the harnessing of visitors to tour the areas of plan is upon the rural areas of Passage East Kilmacthomas collaborative investment and support. Waterford not typically included in the county, specifically Waterford a visitor’s itinerary; Estuary, Copper Coast, Comeragh Copper Coast » maximise the touristic potential of Uplands, Gaeltacht na nDéise, and rural Waterford’s cultural heritage the Blackwater Valley. Each of N72 Estuary and assets in a sustainable way to these areas contains communities N72 Stradbally increase visitor footfall, dwell time whose characters and traditions Dunmore East Blackwater Valley Dungarvin and spend; have evolved from the landscape » find creative and innovative within which they are situated, solutions for delivering creating a sense of place unique Gaeltacht na nDéise inspirational and authentic visitor to the rural areas of Waterford. Cork County experiences that will stand out in the marketplace. N25 N25 Image Credit: Munster Vales Image Credit: Jamie Malone 3 4 Visitor Experience Development Plan Visitor Experience Development Plan The VEDP for rural Waterford has been informed by Analysis of the current situation within Section Two provides a range of insights: extensive consultation and engagement including » Rural Waterford has a diverse range » 2018 tourism revenue in Waterford » Key opportunities include: creation of tourism assets both tangible was €163m with total visitor of new and enhanced cluster of and intangible upon which to numbers of 797,000. Encouraging engaging experiences in each of the strategic conversations with participants detailed in base existing and potential visitor visitors to urban areas of the county five geographic areas; increasing the experience development. such as Waterford City, Tramore, capacity of tourism stakeholders to » Waterford City and County Council and Dungarvan to explore more engage in cross selling, collaboration Appendix one, and an online survey, with analysis have collaborated with a range of of rural Waterford, thus benefiting and promotion of bundled experiences; key partners playing a lead and communities around the county, and visitors seeking open air destinations catalytic role in tourism development enhancing the visitor experience, is and experiences in Covid-19 context; provided in Appendix two. KPMG-Future Analytics over the last decade. This includes a core focus for this plan. enhancing Greenway and Blueway engagement with Wexford, Wicklow » Key challenges for developing and networks; more industry collaboration; and Carmarthenshire local authorities enhancing visitor experiences in tapping into Ireland’s Ancient would like to thank all those who took part which has in the Celtic Routes project. rural Waterford include access East promotion of rural Waterford » Waterford as a destination must to and ‘visitor readiness’ of some itineraries as a route to market for ensure that it has defined itineraries attractions; a need for more local experiences and maximising the contributed to our understanding of the issues and which are saleable experiences to be collaboration and cross-selling; potential of the rural Waterford food promoted both as part of the Ireland’s lack of accommodation; inadequate offer. Ancient East regional brand, Munster visitor infrastructure; the impact of opportunities for rural Waterford. Vales and as part of Visit Waterford, seasonality as well as the impact the umbrella destination brand for of Covid-19 and Brexit on visitor the county. revenue and visitor confidence. 5 6 Visitor Experience Development Plan Visitor Experience Development Plan Section three focusses on signature Section four outlines how the The Waterford VEDP will be delivered Destination Enabler one: Destination Enabler two: Destination Enabler three: experiences in each of the five Waterford VEDP will be delivered with Enhancement and promotion through a series of actions framed Maximise Destination Potential Reinforce Industry Foundation Engaging Visitors and Media destination clusters in rural Waterford. a series of recommendations and an under three destination enablers: The majority are saleable experiences associated action plan. The Waterford of compelling rural Waterford with other experiences included for VEDP will support the cohesive their potential to engage visitors and to development of tourism in the rural visitor experiences in each increase dwell time. The experiences areas of the county by identifying the include a mix of activities, attractions, opportunities and actions that will character area will deliver Image Credits: Jamie Malone heritage, food, drink and festivals. The encourage visitors to stay for longer, Together these emphasis is on those experiences spend more in the rural communities memorable and inspirational destination enablers that help to bring rural Waterford and have an enhanced experience in will maximise the as a destination to life for the visitor, the rural areas of Waterford. moments, inspiring visitors authentic rural experiences. For each opportunities that of the destination clusters, experience A vision to guide the development to not only share their exist, driving growth in development opportunities have been of visitor experiences in rural visitor revenue accruing identified. In each case this focuses Waterford is articulated,