Cavan forms part of ‘Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands’ – new tourism brand for midlands

Cavan has been included in 'Ireland's Hidden Heartlands' a new tourism brand revealed by Bord Fáilte this morning in Athlone for the midlands area.
It is designed to boost tourism and drive visitor growth across parts of Cavan and the Midlands region. 
View the brand video here.

Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands will cover the ‘heart’ of the country, from Leitrim down to East Clare and extending through Longford, Roscommon, East Galway, as well as parts of Westmeath, Cavan, North Tipperary and Offaly. The new brand will complement Fáilte Ireland’s other key brands - the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Dublin.

The River Shannon will be a central focus of the brand with a Shannon Master Plan currently being developed by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Waterways Ireland to drive tourism opportunities both on and off the water, and in the towns surrounding it. 
Another asset for Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands will be the Beara Breifne Way, which spans the whole region, and where a compelling walking and trail experience will be developed to international standards. The Activation Master Plan will see a number of towns along the route identified as walking hubs to support this ambition and drive visitors into nearby areas.
A series of food networks and trails will also be developed as part of the new brand.
Launching Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands in Athlone today, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, said: “We have always been committed to ensuring that Ireland’s success as a world-class tourist destination is shared among the regions. Some of the country’s finest natural assets are in the Midlands, including spectacular lakes, walkways and blueways. Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands will bring these gems to life, offering a unique experience to both domestic and international visitors.”
Fáilte Ireland’s Director of Commercial Development, Paul Keeley, said that significant economic activity can be generated by the new Midlands brand as well as additional tourism revenue and employment if the brand realises its full potential.
“We believe that Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands has the potential to attract more visitors to the region each year - transforming the local and regional tourist industry, which to date has underperformed the rest of the country.” 
Mr Keeley pointed to parts of the region east of the Shannon and stressed that Fáilte Ireland was building in an overlap here with Ireland’s Ancient East to allow local operators to decide to leverage one or both of the visitor brands, whatever best suits their businesses.
He explained: “It’s important to note that we have not defined the boundaries of our various brand territories based on county boundary lines. Instead, we have looked at clusters of product and the distinctive experience they might offer. There is an area along the east of the Shannon river that is strongly rooted in the new brand’s appeal but also has many historical attractions which are already benefiting significantly from being part of  our Ireland’s Ancient East brand. Therefore, we’ve built in some flexibility in this overlapping area to allow local businesses to make the most appropriate decisions for themselves.”
Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands will now become a tourism development zone with Fáilte Ireland allocating investment and resources across the region.
An initial €2m has been allocated to start the development stage of the brand, with further funding to follow. This first round of investment will help to develop visitor experiences, support industry development and develop marketing campaigns for the region.The brand elements including the name, logo and what the brand stands for were developed following extensive research with consumers in Ireland, US, UK, Germany and France.
Over 10,000 consumers were interviewed in the process giving Fáilte Ireland great insight and confidence that Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands has the potential to be both appealing and motivating to visitors.
What consumers were attracted to about the new brand is that it will bring to life the Midlands' rich natural assets including its many lakes, walkways and blueways. It will also leverage a growing tourism trend for soft activities by encouraging visitors to be ‘active in nature’ and to explore the region off the beaten tracks through a range of activities including walking, food, cycling, fishing and boating routes.