1. The Objective of this Submission
Fáilte Ireland has prepared this submission to support and assist Galway City Council in the formulation of planning policies and frameworks for the period 2023-2029. Fáilte Ireland is seeking to enhance the partnership approach between the Council and Fáilte Ireland and ensure that the expertise of both organisations is shared.
The submission seeks to enhance the policy coverage in the Draft Development Plan to ensure a meaningful framework is established for the enhancement of tourism in the City & County, and the wider region, during the Plan period. It has been prepared with inputs from professional planners as well as various strands within Fáilte Ireland. It provides the Council with a concise single submission from Fáilte Ireland dealing with all aspects of tourism – from strategic planning, to visitor experience and destination management.
The submission has been prepared having regard to the tourism profile of the City; the existing policy context in the Draft Plan; and an established template for sustainable tourism policies being used by Fáilte Ireland to guide Planning Authorities.
2. Commentary on the Draft Plan
Fáilte Ireland is generally supportive of the Draft Plan and notes that many of the suggestions included in our Issue Paper submission have been included in the Draft Plan. We again welcome the opportunity to assist the County Council in the important area of policy preparation. Fáilte Ireland is acutely aware of the complex range of issues that a Development Plan must tackle. It is also mindful of both the responsibilities and limitations of the prevailing legislation and the role that the Development Plan plays in a statutory context. Our submission has been fully informed by these considerations.
It is considered in terms of tourism that the Draft Plan does not set out the value of tourism as a key economic driver, the potential development and the role tourism will play for the future of Galway City.
Tourism needs to be included in the vision, tourism strategic objectives stated for the City and how to achieve this through product development and the integration of the regional brand ‘Wild Atlantic Way etc., and as set out in our submission in response to the Issues Paper in 2020.
While the draft Plan does reference tourism throughout the plan including the Tourism Strategy 2020-2025, which is a well-considered strategy, given the relative value of tourism to the City economically, socially and culturally, and the profile and significance of Galway City’s tourism offering within the Wild Atlantic Way, it is considered that a dedicated tourism chapter/section should be provided for in the Draft City Development Plan. The reference to the Tourism Statement, which will be expired for part of the duration of the forthcoming Development Plan, and the inclusion of a small number of objectives along with references to tourism throughout the plan does not set up the Plan robustly enough to ensure the integration of tourism policy and land use plans.
It is considered that tourism could be more strongly referenced throughout the Draft Development Plan and in particular the inclusion of a dedicated Tourism Chapter, or a more detailed and robust Tourism Section, would ensure that all aspects of tourism policy are captured in a clear and robust manner within the Development Plan.
Such a chapter/section would allow for tourism policies and objectives to be clearly set out and where possible, should be illustrated through the inclusion of relevant maps in the Development Plan. The identification of the City’s strategic tourism locations; transport routes; scenic routes and views; tourism attractions and facilities would serve as an effective tool to highlight the importance of tourism in the strategic planning of the City.
Additionally, greater identification of the City’s key assets and identification of existing and proposed enhancement plans and projects could be called out to ensure adequate policy support for these projects.
3. Proposals for the Draft Galway City Development Plan
We have prepared this part of the submission drawing on existing strategies for the enhancement and management of tourism in the County.
Proposed information and statements are based on identified gaps in policy coverage and recommended good practice in the area of sustainable tourism. We have set out explanatory text for discussion among the plan-writing team and in some instances then included suggested text or policies intended for consideration as a direct insert to the Plan itself.
As Galway City Council will be aware there is a current initiative between the City Council and Galway County Council to create a unified tourism branding approach for the City and County given the synergies between the two offerings. This is considered vital to Galway’s continuing and future tourism offering and should robustly be set out in the Draft Development Plan.
The inclusion of a robust tourism section in the Development Plan along with specific policies and objectives will better position Galway City in respect of future tourism funding.
3.1 Dedicated Tourism Chapter/Section
It is considered that Tourism should be called out as both a key economic driver and as a catalyst for improved amenities for communities. Notwithstanding its economic value, tourism also has other qualities which are difficult to measure but contribute greatly to the social benefit of communities. Tourism amenities within localities make them better places to live for local residents, whether by providing attractions and activities or offering good quality hospitality and events. Investment in Tourism and tourism assets has proven to be an ‘enabler and multiplier’ for many other sectors.
It is considered that given the relative value of tourism to the City economically, socially and culturally, a dedicated tourism strategy/chapter should be provided for in the Draft City Development Plan. The reference to a soon to be expired Tourism Strategy and a small number of objectives along with references to tourism throughout the Plan, does not set up the Plan robustly enough to ensure the integration of tourism policy and land use plans. Such a chapter could include the following sections, some of which may align and cross reference against existing sections of the draft Plan:
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Accessible Tourism
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Visitor Orientation
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Greenways & Blueways
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Wild Atlantic Way
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Arts, Craft and Food Tourism
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Business Tourism
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Festivals and Events
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Heritage and Cultural Tourism
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Major Attractions
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Night Time Economy
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Waterfront Tourism
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City Accessibility
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Fáilte Ireland Initiatives
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Visitor Accommodation
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Tourism Amenities & Asset Maps
While it is acknowledged that many of the above issues are referenced in the Draft Plan, e.g. Section 6.10 Night-Time Economy, a dedicated Tourism chapter/section outlining the key challenges and objectives for Tourism in the City, referencing the already incorporated more detailed sections and objectives through the Plan would provide a clear framework for the future development of tourism in the city. This could be achieved by including text in respect of the relevant framework i.e. alignment with National Tourism Policy, National Planning Framework and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, Tourism development priorities applicable to Galway City and alignment with Fáilte Ireland’s plans and programmes.
3.2 Additional Tourism Considerations
Regional Tourism Plan (RTPs)
Fáilte Ireland is in the process of preparing Regional Tourism Plans for each of the four Regional Experience Brands (Dublin, Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands). The purpose of the Regional Tourism Plans is to identify the sustainable tourism development priorities that will help to unlock the commercial potential of the region bringing benefits to all stakeholders and industry. Each plan will be prepared based on the VICE model which is a methodology for working towards sustainable tourism that seeks to strike an appropriate balance between the needs of the Visitor, the Industry and Community and the Environment. The plans will be grounded in Fáilte Ireland’s new Corporate Strategy. There will be a strong spatial element to the plans which will seek to identify where development should take place in order to unlock the tourism potential of the region.
The Regional Tourism Strategies will also provide a strategic framework for a suite of Destination and Experience Development Plans (DEDPs) which will sit underneath them. They will set out the overall goals of each of the proposed DEDPs as well as the timing and sequence for the preparation of these plans. A number of DEDPs are already in progress. Once the RTPs are in place by Q4 of 2022, they will become primary reference documents to inform Fáilte Ireland’s submissions on County and City Development Plans. This will ensure that our submissions on County and City Development Plans are informed by a strong regional context in addition to the agreed tourism needs of each county or city. The Local Authorities will be consulted on the preparation of the RTPs which will also be subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment.
We request the inclusion of an objective supporting the preparation and implementation of Regional Tourism Strategies in the County Development Plan, to support the continued collaboration with Fáilte Ireland and tourism stakeholders to ensure successful implementation and delivery of these tourism plans.
Destination Towns
Galway City have been successful in securing funding under the Fáilte Ireland Destination Town Scheme in respect of a project to ordinate and interpret a canal walk from The Spanish Arch (Fish Market Square) through the West End along the waterways up to Woodquay where funding has also been secured under the Fáilte Ireland Urban Animation Scheme. We would request a policy/objective been included in the Draft Development Plan to support these projects.
Wild Atlantic Way
Galway is ideally placed to act as a base for visitors looking to explore the coastline but also experience the city and its cultural heritage and as such the Draft Plan should include a more robust section in respect of the route. Fáilte Ireland would like to see the management and maintenance of these highlighted as an objective within City Development Plan.
It is considered that greater visibility and wayfinding of the WAW could be placed in and around the City. A review of signage and wayfinding in the city should be undertaken and is overdue. It is considered that there is currently a major signage gap along the route. It is critical that an objective for this is contained within the Draft Plan.
In addition, we request an objective aiming to work in collaboration with Fáilte Ireland to ensure continued maintenance of discovery points and ensure access routes are maintained for all users. Wild Atlantic Way branding logos and signage helps visitors identify the route and contributes to its overall success, we request Galway City Council continue to maintain this presence in the new Development Plan.
We note limited reference to these Brands in the Development Plan and we therefore request that the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ identification and branding is more fully integrated into the Development Plan and that a specific objective aligning with, supporting and promoting this initiative is also included.
Platforms For Growth Investment Programme
A capital investment programme worth €150 million and will run from 2019 to 2022. Major new visitor attractions of scale will be developed and existing attractions greatly enhanced under the programme which falls under the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 strategy.
Accessible Tourism
In order to improve the experience of those who live and visit Galway City, the Council should promote accessible tourism in the county. This entails ensuring that facilities are accessible to people with mobility issues, people with learning disabilities, visual or hearing impairment, young children and elderly people. Achieving a high level of accessibility is both socially and economically important. It is considered that the Development Plan would benefit from the insertion of a section on Accessible Tourism and the incorporation of the following Policy Objective.
Proposed new policies, to be inserted into new Tourism Chapter:
It is an objective of the Council to support the provision of accessible tourism.
Digitalization/Tourism Industry
The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need for both attractions and activity providers to dramatically improve their online booking capability. Digitalisation presents opportunities for businesses to expand their market reach, increase growth and improve operational efficiencies as well as enhancing the visitor experience and improving destination management. Websites, booking facilities and digital distribution technologies must be adopted to target those in the planning phase of their trip and those that are already in-destination researching things to see and do.
Proposed new objective, to be inserted in new Tourism Chapter.
Encourage and support investment in digital technology in the tourism sector, with a particular focus on sectors such as visitor attractions and activities with low digital presence and/or integration.
We consider that the Draft Plan should support the tourism sector to invest in digital technology, with a particular focus on sectors with low digital presence such as visitor attractions and activities.
Food Tourism Destination
We acknowledge Section 6.3.10- Creative Economy & Gastronomy Sectors in the Draft Plan, however it is considered that the Development Plan could go further in acknowledging and supporting local food producers, enterprises and restaurants developing Galway as a food tourism destination. In addition, we request that the recent Fáilte Ireland Outdoor Dining Scheme be acknowledged and supported in the Development Plan through identification of public realm and streets that can accommodate or be reconfigured for outdoor dining e.g. Middle Street.
Business Tourism
The Draft Plan makes no reference to Business Tourism. Galway City has significant growth potential in relation to Corporate and Business Tourism owing to its strong med-tech sector and as home to National University of Ireland Galway, with its own new dedicated Regional Convention Bureau. The facilitation of this through the provision of accommodation, conference facilities and transport are crucial. Business tourism has many positive knock-on effects for other businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors and can act as a catalyst for local tourism. We note Galway City has a requirement for a large scale gala dinner venue.
In the post Covid-19 world it is considered that smart solutions and innovative approaches to Business Tourism will be important and Galway should ensure it is well positioned to attract this market. A objective should be included that commits Galway City Council to leading on generation and conversion of Business Tourism for the City in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and Galway Convention Bureau targeting international association conferences, corporate meetings and incentive trips, and explore the feasibility of venues for new large gala dinner venue to support this sector.
3.3 Additional Suggested Text Insertions
Section 1.2 Strategic Vision for Galway City- Strategic Goals
We welcome the strategic goals set out in Chapter 1- Introduction, Strategic Context & Core Strategy and believe there are robust and sound objectives upon which to frame the development of the County. However given the importance of tourism to Galway City we believe there should be a strategic goal in respect of tourism:
Proposed additional Strategic Goal
Acknowledging the vital importance of the tourism sector to economic development, continue to encourage and promote the sustainable development of a range of quality tourism facilities, attractions and accommodation types in Galway City.
Section 6.3.8 Tourism Sector
The below text should be updated as follows:
Proposed amended text in Section 6.3.8
Galway City and County accounted for 59% of the tourist visits in 2019 for the West region and benefits greatly both economically and from the added vitality it brings. Prior to the year impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic Galway City and County h welcomed 2.7m tourist trips in 2019 (1.7m overseas and 1 million domestic trips) t according to Fáilte Irelands Survey of Overseas Travellers and the CSO’s published figures on domestic travel.
The Draft Plan identifies that ‘the MASP has a focus on tourism also and identifies the unique environment of Galway City and its environs including the extensive coastline, urban beaches, river and lake, the waterways and the city canal system as unique tourism assets. Funding under the destination town funding stream will further explore the potential of these areas as blueways that can support facilities for tourist activities’. It is considered that further reference to Fáilte Ireland funding sources should be included as follows:
Proposed amended text in Section 6.3.8
The MASP has a focus on tourism also and identifies the unique environment of Galway City and its environs including the extensive coastline, urban beaches, river and lake, the waterways and the city canal system as unique tourism assets. Funding under the Destination Town Scheme, Platforms for Growth and Shared Water Facilities Scheme funding streams will further explore the potential of these areas as blueways that can support facilities for tourist activities’
As noted in a previous section the inclusion of policies and objectives for specific attractions, projects or infrastructural upgrades will better position Galway City in respect of future tourism funding. This should be considered in the identification of key projects to be pursued under this Development Plan.
Section 6.10 Night Time Economy
The night-time economy is specifically referenced in the Draft Development Plan. Developing the night-time economy is an important aspect of ensuring a vibrant town and village centres and means more than just developing a bar and restaurant culture. It entails encouraging different activities, in particular cultural experiences, through longer opening hours that appeal to a broader range of people. There is an opportunity to develop a night-time economy that appeals to both visitor and resident, to the greater benefit of the county as a whole.
The night-time economy needs to be carefully managed to ensure a balance which does not negatively impact the public. However, there are many ways in which vibrancy can be added to cities and towns throughout the evening and night-time including facilitating rooftop/outdoor dining, extended hours of opening for retail, greater utilisation of our waterside spaces and allowing for more music and cultural venues. A diverse range of indoor attractions can add to the night-time economy particularly in Galway City.
Proposed amended policy, 6.12 No 4
Support the development of a vibrant, inclusive, evening and night-time culture and economy through sustainable measures and promote the need for associated transport supports, measures to secure a safe environment, and for diversity in entertainment and creative offerings. This may include extended opening hours, proposals for outdoor dining and event space, and proposals for the greater utilisation of existing heritage assets.
Section 8 Built Heritage, Placemaking and Urban Design
It is considered that Figure 8.14 Key Public Realm Schemes in the City Centre would benefit from the inclusion of reference to research carried out by Fáilte Ireland on outdoor dining which demonstrated the improved visitor experience outdoor dining provides.
Proposed amended objective 8.8- No 6
Promote the important role that public space plays in providing for informal social interaction and maximise opportunities for outdoor gathering places, play areas, outdoor dining and outdoor public seating, where appropriate and in accordance with the Public Realm Strategy and accompanying manuals.
Section 8.9 makes reference to the Galway Public Realm Strategy (2019) and its policy to create strong links between the city centre and regeneration areas of the Harbour, Ceannt Station, Headford Road and at Nuns Island and to deliver high quality public realm. Fáilte Ireland supports the plans to improve public realm and accessibility particularly in respect of the proposed plans at the Port of Galway.
4. Conclusion
We wish to take this final opportunity to commend the Council on the Draft Development Plan and reiterate the commitment of Fáilte Ireland to working with the Council on achieving the Plan objectives over the coming years.
In relation to any follow up to this submission please contact:
Shane Dineen
Environment & Planning Manager
Fáilte Ireland- The National Tourism Development Authority
88/95 Amiens Street, Dublin 1
Email: shane.dineen@failteireland.ie