The Chair of the Burren Eco Tourism Network says bookings for the area for this year are at unprecedented levels.
It follows the area being crowned ‘The Best Place to Holiday in Ireland 2022’.
The Burren won the competition, hosted by the Irish Times and Failte Ireland, beating off four other shortlisted locations in the process.
They were Achill, County Mayo, Carlingford, County Louth, The Causeway Coast in County Antrim and Inisbofin in County Galway.
Judges praised the Burren’s ‘stunning landscape’, ‘grassroots food culture’ and its vision for sustainable tourism as reasons behind it being awarded this year’s crown.
CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network, Jarlath O’ Dwyer, says the relationships between local businesses and producers has been key to the area’s success.
Bookings from both domestic and overseas tourists in the North Clare region are understood to be among their highest levels ever this year as the area benefits from pent up post-pandemic demand.
George Quinn, who’s Chair of the Network, believes the vastness of the Burren continues to make it attractive to visitors year after year.
A Director of the Board who’s set to fly to the US later this month to represent the Network says the award will make the area an ever bigger sell for next summer’s market.
Joan Hamilton, who’s heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as part of a Visit Clare delegation, says it’s an accolade that will stand to the region in the short and medium term.
Listen back to the full interview here:
