Ideal opportunity to showcase tourism success stories in Cavan

DEADLINE Entries in Cavan Business and Tourism Awards close at midnight November 1

Cavan businesses which cater for tourists are being encouraged to put their enterprise in the limelight by entering this year's Cavan Business and Tourism Awards.

"It's a great opportunity to promote your business and to highlight all the good things businesses have been doing - the innovation of the tourism industry in Cavan," enthused Joanne Hayes County Tourism Officer.

"There's are many businesses doing a lot of really nice things in trying to pivot in terms of their business offering."

The sector has of course endured the Covid pandemic, and now face the challenges of higher operating costs and a public with diminished disposable incomes. It is therefore an apt time to take time to celebrate the successes of those businesses who have survived, and occasionally even thrived, in the face of economic adversity.

Cavan Tourism is one of the main sponsors in this the premier business awards event in the county.

The deadline of Tuesday, November 1 is looming for entries to the competition. Fortunately entering the competition, or nominating a business for an award couldn't be easier.

To ENTER your business click HERE.

To NOMINATE a business click HERE.

Despite the challenges ahead, there's opportunities too. It's possible that the squeezed incomes could see people choose to holiday in Ireland.

"We did see during Covid, Cavan got real bounce when the lockdown ended. A lot of businesses saw customers coming to the county that they wouldn't ordinarily see.

"Cavan became the second or third holiday - after they had done the more traditional tourism destination. Much of this was on the strength of the really strong hotels we have in the county - they do a great job in attracting visitors in their own right."

While she estimates have enough attractions to engage visitors for four to five days, Joanne suggests the county does need to "develop more product".

"In the council we are all the time looking at product development. We're looking at mainly the outdoor recreational side of things - we can influence the development of walks, greenways and forest parks, linking in with agencies such as Coillte, Inland Fisheries Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. Then we rely on the private sector to come in and invest in restaurants, hotels and other facilities in the county. They do that really well but we would love to see more in the line of visitor attractions. That's really where we need more product."

She notes a number of local indoor attractions such as the County Museum and St Kilians Heritage Centre in Mullagh, and would love to see more.

"More things for people to do indoors on rainy days would be great," she says.

Development

In the meantime the Tourism Office continue to develop ambitious offerings county wide. The short, medium and long term developments are included in the Masterplan for Dún a Rí Forest Park which has recently been completed by Paul Hogarth Company and will be launched before Christmas this year

"There's a lot of positive things happening around Dún a Rí Forest Park," Joanne says. "The new national play area [in Dún a Rí] will be ready to be developed in the first half of 2023 as well. The contract has been awarded on that outdoor play area.

"Meath County Council are making a lot of progress on the Boyne Valley Greenway [Navan to Kingscourt] and they are working on securing funding to complete that from Dún a Rí to Kingscourt, so there will be a trail head on that Greenway. It will start/finish in Dún a Rí Forest Park, so that will be another boost for the Kingscourt area as well."

In the West, the Shannon Pot project, to develop the area where the River Shannon rises, has progressed to design stage. A project manager and design team have been appointed.

"It will be another couple of years before we see any work on the ground yet, but it's definitely making progress."

The county town too is set to enjoy enhancement works under the Destination Towns project.

"We expect to see a new heritage town trail for the entire town, and new public realm outside the Townhall in the first half of 2023 as well."

Fáilte Ireland funding will help visitors easily locate Cavan Town's highlights.

"This project will take in the heritage assets around the town and bring them to life through nice contemporary interpretation and directional signage," she explained.