Sligo County Council this morning approved an ambitious tourism strategy for the next six years.
The strategy aims to have Sligo among the top 10 performing counties in the country by 2023, earning €149m in revenue and attracting 548,000 visitors per annum.
The tourism strategy approved by the council this morning aims to increase overseas visitors to the county by 23% and the number of domestic visitors by 15%.
That would see overseas revenues go up by 41% to €22m and domestic revenue by 15% to €9.5m.
It’s hoped to increase employment in tourism in Sligo by 700 over the next six years to 3,400.
The major attraction or theme to be developed further centres around Nobel Prize-winning poet W B Yeats.
According to the strategy, this alone can continue to attract more than 100,000 visitors a year to the county.
Three secondary themes to be promoted and developed include outdoor activities, archaeology and history, and culture and creativity – all said to be capable of sustaining 50,000 to 70,000 visitors a year.
The Wild Atlantic Way is to be a cornerstone of all international marketing and sales efforts.
Councillors were told that a world class digital marketing programme must be put in place.
The strategy also calls for a tactical approach toward the growth and development of various events and festivals in attracting visitors, particularly in quieter periods.
