Displaying items by tag: Waterford Coast

Q: Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

24th March 2017

Longest Greenway in Ireland to officially open Saturday

Pictured on the Waterford Greenway ahead of the official opening of the longest off-road walking and cycling experience in Ireland is Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Adam Wyse along with Joshua Moran-Davy (10), Leah Moran-Saunders (5) and Reuben Moran-Davy (7) from Passage East, Co Waterford

Waterford Greenway, the longest off-road walking and cycling experience in Ireland, is to officially open tomorrow, Saturday (March 25). The eagerly awaited €15 million project stretches 46km from Waterford City to Dungarvan along the former Great Southern and Western Railway line.

The major tourism initiative now features in the Atlantic Coast Route of EuroVelo, a long distance cycling network connecting Europe. It is also part of Fáilte Ireland’s Ancient East experience.

The official opening of the Greenway will take place at the old Kilmacthomas Station House, the half-way mark on the dedicated walking and cycling path. Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Simon Coveney TD will attend the ribbon cutting ceremony. Multiple family-friendly events will also take place on Saturday at Waterford Institute of Technology’s West Campus, the Dungarvan Causeway and Kilmacthomas village.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Adam Wyse outlined: “It is fitting that the Waterford Greenway officially opens on March 25th, exactly 50 years after the last passenger train travelled along the old railway line between Dungarvan and Waterford. The Waterford Greenway is steeped in history and natural heritage, and I’m delighted to see it now re-imagined into an amenity that will continue to give great enjoyment to the people of Waterford and visitors to this great county well into the future.”

The Waterford Greenway was developed by Waterford City and County Council with the co-operation of local property owners and communities along the route, and supporting funding from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Also attending the official opening will be Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, Olympic silver medallist and Waterford native, John Treacy, who said: “Participation in sport and physical activity across all ages and backgrounds is vitally important. Having a world-class facility like the Greenway, with its beautiful vista and fantastic amenities, will encourage and provide opportunities to people of all ages, the length and breadth of Waterford, to get out and get active.

“I am also delighted that Waterford Greenway will be the 900th trail listed on the National Trails Register, which is managed by Sport Ireland.”

The route features 11 bridges, three viaducts and a 400-metre tunnel and takes in Waterford City, Mount Congreve, Kilmeaden, Kilmacthomas, Shanacool, Scartore and Dungarvan.

Saturday’s celebrations between 12pm and 4pm include a Viking Village and live music at WIT West Campus, while at Kilmacthomas village, revellers are invited to step back in time with a vintage car display and traditional Fair Day Mart. At the Dungarvan Causeway, there will be fairground rides, live music, juggling and stilt walking. There will also be free walks and talks throughout the afternoon, along with railway heritage exhibitions at Waterford County Museum in Dungarvan, and Kilmacthomas Library.

Published in Coastal Notes

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The Allure of the Deep, Is Diving for You?

It's that time of year again, dark evenings and looking for a new challenge writes Timmy Carey. Time to find a new sport to take away the winter blues, why not try SCUBA Diving or Snorkelling. Most clubs begin training either in October or February so now is the best time to enquire and give it a try. The shores of Ireland are blessed with a rich variety of marine life and with almost 12,000 shipwrecks around our coast, there is an never ending challenge awaiting. The Irish Underwater Council has almost 100 diving clubs clubs across Ireland affiliated to it and most will be running beginners scuba courses shortly. For further details log in HERE or alternatively ring the Irish Underwater Council head office at 01-2844601

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Divers completing a decompression stop after a 40 meter dive to the wreck of the ssFoilia off the Waterford Coast

Published in Diving

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Marine Leisure & Aquatic Tourism

Domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million.

Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips.

While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities.

According to the National University of Galway (NUIG) research the average expenditure per coastal day trip in 2018 was calculated at €95. The equivalent for coastal overnight trips was €310. The estimated water-based activity expenditure per person per trip across the sample was €56 rising to €73 for the subsample that actually undertake waterbased activities on their coastal visits. The results also indicate that domestic tourists undertake the majority of their marine activities on the West and South coasts of Ireland and that there are notable differences in participation rates across age groupings, social classes and by family makeup.

A domestic tourist is defined in this report as a person who spends at least one night away from home on their trip. Total expenditure by domestic tourists in coastal areas was estimated to be €698 million in 2018, which represents 35% of the total expenditure by domestic tourists (using the broader Fáilte Ireland measure for domestic tourists that includes business trips equating to 10.92 million in total trips and €2,006 million in total revenue).

The marine-related activity expenditure, or what might truly be referred to as domestic marine tourism, is estimated to generate revenue of €381 million with €172 million being spent on water-based activities. Marine tourism makes up an estimated 19% of total domestic tourism expenditure.

Marine Leisure Tourism - FAQ

What is marine leisure tourism?

Coastal tourism refers to land-based and water-based tourism activities taking place on the coast for which the proximity to the sea is a condition including also their respective services. Coastal and Marine Tourism & Leisure are seen as one of the Blue Economy (BE) sectors that can help unlock the potential of multi-use of space at sea by engaging with Blue Growth (BG) sectors such as Aquaculture and Marine Renewable Energy among others.

Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

What marine leisure tourism studies have been conducted in Ireland?

NUI Galway carried out a survey of domestic residents in Ireland in 2019 as part of a survey entitled "Valuing and understanding the dynamics of Ireland's Ocean Economy". The purpose of the household survey was to profile the domestic market for single-day trips (leisure) and overnight trips (tourism) for coastal and marine-related activities in Ireland. The results of the survey are also used to estimate what proportion of an Irish resident's total domestic tourism expenditure is in coastal areas (coastal tourism) and what proportion is spent on undertaking marine-related activities (marine tourism).

What were the results of the NUI marine leisure tourism study?

The NUI results highlight the important contribution that Ireland's marine and coastal resources make to the leisure experiences of the general population and the importance of the domestic tourism market to local coastal economies. The analysis indicates that domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million. Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips. While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities. Satisfaction with the available marine-related leisure facilities was also found to be very high across all activities.