Including Kerry destination Skellig Ring on the Lonely Plant will boost tourism across the Wild Atlantic Way.
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book publisher in the world and it selected Skellig Ring in its top ten ‘Best in Travel 2017’. Matthew Thomas is the CEO at Shannon Group, he says it is another huge global signpost for the Wild Atlantic Way.
Matthew commented “The Skellig Ring is breath-taking and fully deserves to be included in Lonely Planet’s top-ten and the publicity this will bring will be huge for the wider Wild Atlantic Way. This list has global reach given Lonely Planet’s status as one of the ultimate guides for tourists. It would simply have been impossible to buy this level of publicity for our region.
“The great thing, however, is that once people begin reading about Skellig Ring, they will quickly find it is a spur off the majestic Ring of Kerry, which, in turn, will bring them to the tourism phenomenon that the Wild Atlantic Way is, with any number of other jaw-dropping locations. The listing will open eyes across the world to all of the Wild Atlantic Way’s gems. Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Cork will all benefit from this.
“As the natural gateway airport for the Wild-Atlantic Way, bringing people directly into this region from all our key markets, the UK, Europe and US, we will certainly be seeking to capaitalise on this for the region.”
Skellig Michael, the island which featured in 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is described by Lonely Planet as a “remote, wave-pounded hunk of rock rising out of the Atlantic like a giant triangle”.
Lonely Planet spokeswoman Noirín Hegarty said The Skellig Ring is “a spot of timeless beauty” and “should be on every traveller’s must-see list”.