Clare National Conference

1
24th November 2007
Business Tourism, The Role of Local Authority
Joe Horan
County Manager
South Dublin County Council
2
Strategic Location
3
Value of Business Tourism in Ireland is currently
worth in excess of 475 million per year. Failte
Ireland has set a target to increase business
tourism to Ireland of 1 billion by 2013.
The question for South Dublin County are we
promoted in the sector?
4
Composition of South Dublin County Tourism
David Kennedy, South Dublin Chamber - Chairperson
Cllr. Máire Ardagh, South Dublin County Council
- Vice-Chairperson Peter Byrne, South Dublin
Chamber - Company Secretary Loman OByrne, South
Dublin Enterprise Board - Treasurer Cllr Mark
Daly, South Dublin County Council Cllr Guss
OConnell, South Dublin County Council Cllr
Catriona Jones, South Dublin County Council
Jim Walsh, South Dublin County Council
Billy Coman, South Dublin County
Council Raymond Keaney, Institute of Technology
Tallaght Jane Fitzpatrick, Dublin Tourism Tom
Lyng, Coillte Ciaran ODonovan, Red Cow
Moran Hotel Brendan Flynn, Abberley Court
Hotel Gillian Prendergast, Citywest Hotel Jim
Brady, Beechpark Golf Club Brían Ó Gáibhín,
Áras Chrónáin
Company established 11th January 2005
5
Role of the Local Authority

• to work in conjunction with Tourism Companies
  and Groups to identify the tourism strengths of
  their area and to target core markets on these
  strengths.

• to assist with the branding, promotion and
  marketing of identifiable tourism products.

• to maximise the spins offs from identifiable
  products to other sectors.

6
Role of the Local Authority

• to ensure that existing facilities are to a high
  standard so that they are available and can be
  enjoyed both by the local community and visitors.
  
• Share resources where possible.
• look at new Local Auth. Projects in the context
  of tourism.

7
Role of Local Authority

• Sustainability can be achieved through
  co-operative marketing involving the key partners
  in both the public and private industry
• - Deliver the right product to a specified market
  Success
• - Create an identifiable brand and overall
  package
• - Inform your target market using a mixture of
  traditional marketing promotion methods and focus
  on the use of modern technology.

8

• Ideal Gateway to the rest of Ireland.
• Hub of the national roads system entering Dublin
  - N4, N7 N81
• Access to Dublin Airport Ferry ports
• Public transport to Dublin City Centre
• Experience both a Capital City and Country
  Liffey Valley and the Dublin Mountains.

9
Identified Strengths

• Specialist international business parks
  Citywest Campus Grange Castle Business Parks.
• Outside the capital, the county has the largest
  concentration of businesses
• Large number and variety hotels available
  locally. Over 3,000 bedrooms.

10

• Acc Type Rooms of Dublin Stock
• Hotels 3844 18.5
• Guesthouses 41 4.6
• Hostels - -
• Townhouses 12 2.4
• Country Homes 8 7
• Self Catering 2 0.7
• Farmhouse - -
• Specialist - -
• Campus - -
• Caravan Camping 163 72

11
Creating an Identity Recognisable Projects

• Key Flagship Projects
• Civic Theatre
• County Arts Centre
• Grange Castle Golf Course
• Camac Valley Caravan Camping Park
• Leisure Centres at Tallaght Clondaklin
• Connect Interactive Exhibition Centre.interactive
  building.

12

• Providing Location based information to the
  Tourist in South Dublin County for
• Hotels, BBs Guest Houses
• Transport Information
• Cultural Venues Events
• Or any information that can be spatially mapped

13
Recognising the Importance of Events

• Hallowfest is a new event developed by South
  County Dublin Tourism to celebrate the tradition
  of Halloween for all the family
• This year, over 10,000 people attended the second
  festival.
• The event takes place over October Bank Holiday
  weekend and incorporates venues such as County
  Hall, the Hell Fire Club in the Dublin Mountains,
  ITT Dublin and Rathfarnham Castle.
• Web presence at www.hallowfest.ie

14
Hallowfest Sponsors 2007
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
Ethiopian Friendship Project
19
Linking our community to Butajira Werabe
Helping Us Rediscover Community Spirit
20
Conclusion
The Local Authority and Local Tourism Providers
have an equal role to play in the Sustainability
of Tourism in their County. The Local Authority
must facilitate an information flow that the
sector can plug into.
21

Visit us Online
www.southdublintourism.ie
www.southdublin.ie