Wild Atlantic Way Coastal Trail

The Challenge

A key objective of the Fáilte Ireland 10 Year Vision for Tourism is the development of a Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) Coastal Trail as a compelling visitor experiences for overseas tourists.  Outdoor Recreation NI was appointed to carry out a pilot study in County Kerry to inform the creation of a framework to guide the development of the complete Wild Atlantic Way Coastal Trail.

 

The Role

As well as the pilot study in County Kerry, this project was widened to include an in-depth review of access and other constraints which had been identified as obstacles to the delivery of the WAW Coastal Trail.  In order to carry out these works we:

• WAW Coastal Trail
  • Reviewed access in Ireland and good practice in GB and put forward recommendations to enable the development of the WAW Coastal Trail.
  • Reviewed iconic trails and good practice globally enabling the establishment of the critical success factors for long-distance trails internationally.
  • Highlighted potential developments to achieve international stand out.
  • Identified and reviewed best prospect customer segments.
  • Identified the potential environmental impact of the Trail and put forward recommendations.
• County Kerry
  • Identified a trail corridor for County Kerry.
  • Reviewed the visitor and walker experience, recommending key interventions to meet and exceed the critical success factor

 

 

The Results

The Wild Atlantic Way Coastal Trail has the potential to be a compelling visitor experience for visitors to Ireland.  However, some key strategic constraints were identified.  Recommendations over three phases were put forward to overcome these obstacles and inform the creation of a framework to guide the development of the complete Wild Atlantic Way Coastal Trail.

The results have been presented to Fáilte Ireland and the project is under consideration.

 

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