New Community Tourism Initiative

Press Release

Tuesday 15th April 2014

New Community Tourism Initiative to Reach Out to Family and Friends Living Abroad

Carlow Local Authorities are delighted to launch a new Community Tourism Initiative for the Diaspora which seeks to build on the legacy of The Gathering 2013. The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, officially launched the initiative, a joint partnership between Fáilte Ireland, IPB Insurance and the 34 Local Authorities, to provide an annual fund of €1m over the next three years to support up to 700 local community-based events and festivals each year around the country.Carlow Local Authorities will provide €30,000 over the next three years for this purpose.

Commenting on the initiative, County Manager and Chairman of Carlow Tourism, Tom Barry, said “Every year we support many festivals, facilitate forums and engage with citizens to support them in community events.  We want to develop our communities to make them sustainable to live in, give people a sense of pride and belonging and encourage visitors and commerce.”

“The Gathering was warmly embraced by communities throughout the county in 2013 which highlights the vitality of Carlow’s community and voluntary sector. The county was ranked first in the South-East region for its number of Gatherings per head of population, ahead of Waterford, Wexford, South Tipperary and Kilkenny. The county also enjoyed significant economic, cultural and social benefits as a result of the Gathering”.

“Pride in Place and Pride in Community is at the heart of what we do in the Council, and reaching out to and re-connecting with our Diaspora is a very important part of our work with our communities” continuedMr. Barry. “This initiative will inject a new energy into communities, making people think about how they can promote their localities through new and recurring events and how they can sell these events to visitors. It will give opportunities for individuals, groups and co-ops to get creative and think outside of traditional target markets and audiences”.

The Community Diaspora Tourism Initiative is a direct response to one of the clear successes of last year’s The Gathering where 5,000 communities mobilised to harness their Diaspora links for the benefit of local and community tourism.

The amount awarded will be based on the number of overseas visitors attending events. The minimum offered is €500 and the maximum €3,000.   Carlow Local Authorities will seek applications for support from local community events from today, with a closing date of 9th May. For further information please see www.carlow.ie or contact bobrien@carlowcoco.ie