Membership of the Burren Ecotourism Network has grown dramatically for 2020 due to a strong momentum built up by its management in recent years.
Now representing almost 70 businesses in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, the network is comprised of a substantial number of well-established businesses that collectively employ over 1,000 people in the area. The last board meeting of the Burren Ecotourism Network saw George Quinn of Hyland’s Burren Hotel in Ballyvaughan elected as chairperson, following the very successful tenure of Brid Fahy. George Quinn is a Ballyvaughan native with extensive International business experience and operates a wide range of tourism related businesses in Ballyvaughan, ranging from retail shops, self-catering accommodation and hospitality.
“As Climate Change and Sustainability continue to be international hot topics, County Clare has been to the forefront of innovation and leadership in the area of sustainable tourism. The Code of Sustainable Tourism Practices is the Framework that the Burren Ecotourism Network is built on and this places the local area ahead of other well-known destinations in terms of responsible tourism. The Code provides us with set of principles that help us to protect the environment as well as with a marketing tool to promote the area with,” said George Quinn
“The Burren Ecotourism Network is embarking on a significant and well-resourced marketing campaign that will elevate awareness levels in key visitor markets. The strength of the region as an international destination is in the collaboration of the businesses that operate here” he continued
“We have both the correct structure and the key marketing programmes in place that will enable us as a business community to harness the online traffic and to encourage browsers to spend more time in the Clare area, more importantly to make advance reservations with our attractions, accommodation providers and restaurants. As the Cliffs of Moher is the most visited natural attraction in Ireland, we have an opportunity to create strong awareness among potential visitors to the Cliffs of the remainder of the offering within the area.
Realising that opportunity will take funding, planning and effective campaigns, and we feel that we now have the momentum and experience on board to execute the plans that we have in place” George added
“The future of tourism in the Burren and County Clare region is bright, but as a business community, we have a great deal of work to do to protect the product and to promote it as the most accessible and worthwhile destinations in Ireland, where visitors can expect a fantastic variety of wonderful experiences as well as an ample supply of top quality accommodation, food and entertainment,” he concluded.