MINISTER FOR Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív has predicted that within five years, one million tourists annually will be travelling to Ireland for walking holidays.
This could generate €680 million in revenues for the economy given recent trends.
Mr Ó Cuív made his prediction yesterday in the Burren village of Ballyvaughan where he launched three new walking routes for the north Clare area.
The Minister said that last year, 517,000 visitors came to Ireland for walking holidays and that this generated €340 million. “More people come to Ireland to walk than to golf,” he said.
Mr Ó Cuív added: “I believe that we can get that figure to one million visitors, with the knock-on impact in revenues. I don’t think that aim is unreasonable when you see what we have achieved so far.
“We had a reasonably good market before we developed it . . . there is a huge market in Europe and the more urbanised society becomes, the more people will crave to walk in the hills and the mountains.”
Mr Ó Cuív said that through a Government scheme to maintain walkways across land, farmers can receive up to €1,000 per annum.“We are not paying for access, it is based on work . . . landowners get specific payments for those tasks.”
The Minister said that what has occurred with the development of the three walkways in the Burren “is a model of co-operation” that has involved 50 landowners.
Ranging from 9km (5.6 miles) to 26km, the new walks are the Carron Loop, Ballyvaughan Wood Loop and Black Head Loop.
“What is happening here today is happening all over the country. Every area now is developing quality product for walkers,” Mr Ó Cuív said.
