Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
152. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline his Department’s efforts to promote tourism in east County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44950/26]
View answerFáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland both play an important role in promoting tourism at regional and national level.
Responsibility for regional tourism development and promotion lies with Fáilte Ireland. East County Galway is encompassed Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands Regional Tourism Development Strategy for 2023–2027. Aligned with that Strategy, Fáilte Ireland is developing a series of Destination Experience Development Plans (DEDPs). These are five-year sustainable tourism development plans, developed collaboratively with public and private partners, setting out agreed actions across relevant stakeholders.
I am pleased to say that a DEDP specifically for East Galway is due to be completed in early 2027. The first working group meeting was held last November. More recently a community workshop was held in Ballinasloe, and local drop-in clinics have taken place across East Galway.
While that work is ongoing, Fáilte Ireland is supporting the development of tourism in East Galway, awarding funding of €30,000 to “Gaelforce Swim Trilogy” in Portumna this July; and working closely with Galway County Council and local tourism businesses to develop an East Galway tourism map for the 2026 season, to better promote East Galway attractions and tourism experiences to visitors.
Fáilte Ireland and Galway County Council delivered an East Galway Tourism Networking Event in 2025, to support collaboration across the area, which 40 local tourism businesses attended. A similar event is planned for later this year.
On the domestic marketing front, Fáilte Ireland launched a national campaign, “Find Yourself on a Short Break” in March 2026, to encourage more frequent short breaks across the country.
Tourism Ireland of course continues to promote Ireland intensively in across 15 key overseas markets.
Their new campaign, ‘Ireland Unrushed’, which ran for the month of May, encouraged visitors to enjoy journeying around the island of Ireland at a slower pace this summer, and featured Galway, Connemara and the Aran Islands. Tourism Ireland also works with key air and partners – including airlines serving Ireland West Airport – to stimulate demand for strategic routes that bring inbound visitors.
This May, Tourism Ireland organised a B2B workshop and networking event that was attended by Galway County Council and 25 tourism companies from the West of Ireland – including Ahascragh Distillery and Brackloon Castle and Farm, both based in East Galway. At that event companies had the opportunity to connect with around 60 leading Italian tour operators, travel agents and journalists.
The development of a DEDP brings a dedicated focus to growing tourism in East Galway. Coupled with the strategic development activities undertaken by Tourism Ireland, I am confident that our national tourism agencies are providing dedicated and effective support to the development and promotion of tourism in East Galway, and will continue to do so into the future.
