Dublin’s Great Outdoors showcases beauty and diversity of South Dublin

By Mary Dennehy

A NEW website showcasing the beauty, diversity and accessibility of South Dublin County has been launched as part of the region’s Tourism Strategy, an ambitious plan which predicts 250,000 yearly visitors to the county by 2025 – who will bring a spend of between €60 and €65 million.

In 2015, South Dublin County Council launched its Tourism Strategy, which aims to develop the region’s tourist economy and “serve as a roadmap to unlock the potential of the county”.

As part of the strategy, the council has launched a new tourism brand aimed at increasing visitor numbers to the county called, Dublin’s Great Outdoors – which includes a new interactive tourism website and promotional videos that showcase the unique and varied landscape of the region and its outdoor, cultural and heritage offerings.

The user-friendly website also connects visitors to the area’s network of hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping centres and civic amenities, which are all located within the easily accessible and compact hub of South Dublin County.

Working alongside Failte Ireland, and tying into the Dublin, A Breath of Fresh Air campaign, the council anticipates that the region has what it takes to attract 250,000 domestic and international visitors by 2025, benefit from a potential tourism spend of between €60 and €65M and increase tourism sector jobs by 2,500.

Speaking to The Echo, Colm Ward, of South Dublin County Council, said: “We want to showcase all that is on offer in the county and have invited all local service providers to be part of this.

“We are now working on raising awareness of the website and everything that the county has to offer… and alongside encouraging people to visit, encourage them to stay here too

“The website and Dublin’s Great Outdoors is an identity, a local brand that showcases everything that we have on offer, and now we want to get this message to an international audience.”

From the county’s waterways to its mountains, and everything in between, the villages of Tallaght, Clondalkin, Templeogue, Rathfarnham, Lucan, Palmerstown, Rathcoole, Newcastle and Saggart also feature on the site, which will also assist in promoting positive perceptions of the region and the unique mix of people, opportunities and landscapes that it is home too.

According to Daniel McLoughlin, Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council: “As a vehicle for economic development, tourism has clearly been identified as an opportunity in South Dublin County.

“This is being proactively pursued through the implementation of our County Tourism Strategy.

“In launching our tourism marketing plans [last Thursday], we highlight the outdoors as the primary attraction within our overall visitor experience.

“Dublin is a destination where city living lives side by side with the natural outdoors and the rivers, parks and mountains of our county will play an important role in attracting visitors to the region”.

The Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Guss O’ Connell said: “We look upon today as a new start in terms of how our county is portrayed within Dublin and Ireland.

“Today is a statement of what’s best about Dublin’s Great Outdoors and how we can attract more people here.

“We all share the aim of attracting more visitors and supporting jobs in the county through the development of the visitor experience”.

Visit www.dublinsgreatoutdoors.ie or follow DubGr8Outdoors on Facebook.