Fáilte Ireland today honoured Ennis as one of the top ten towns in Ireland making a difference to tourism at the 2013 Tourism Towns Awards Ceremony in Dublin.
The highest accolade went to Kilkenny who won the national title of Ireland’s Tourism Town 2013. The medieval town was chosen from a shortlist of ten top tourism towns including Letterkenny.
The Tourism Towns Award was designed by Fáilte Ireland to promote those Irish towns and villages which are working hardest to enhance their appeal to tourists visiting their local area.
The other shortlisted towns were:
- Cobh, Co. Cork
- Drogheda, Co. Louth
- Ennis, Co. Clare
- Kenmare, Co. Kerry
- Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
- Mulranny, Co. Mayo
- Murrisk, Co. Mayo
- Tralee, Co. Kerry
- Westport, co. Mayo
Comments from the Judging Panel on Letterkenny:
The visitor experience in Letterkenny is excellent in relation to food, accommodation and entertainment. The commitment of the town to present and maintain the streets in a tidy fashion is impressive. This along with the public area improvements has considerably enhanced the appearance of the town centre.
Congratulating Letterkenny on reaching the top ten, CEO of Fáilte Ireland Shaun Quinn said –
“I would like to commend the community of Letterkenny for making the top ten at this year’s Tourism Town Awards. You are a great example of what can be achieved in tourism when all the local elements are aligned with a common purpose.I hope that the towns and villages recognised today will inspire other communities across Ireland to take similar steps.”
Speaking about their involvement with the award, Anne McGowan, Chairperson of the Letterkenny Tidy Town Committee said –
“Being named among the Top Ten Tourism Towns in Ireland has raised the profile of Letterkenny. It has increased confidence and ignited a new enthusiasm around the Town. The placement has encouraged stakeholders to identify new marketing opportunities and further promote Letterkenny as a destination of welcome – where the visitor can enjoy all the comforts of the city while experiencing a rich diverse heritage and the rugged bewitching beauty of Donegal.”
