Cultural and creative tourism module
Introduction
Galway set in the heart of the west of ireland is widely known for its growing cultural offerings in 2020 being nominated as the capital of culture galway has evolved over the years from the small fishing town that it was where the spanish arch meets the river corrib to now being a bustling bohemian culturally diverse city based on the west coat of oreland the addition of the large colleges and universities in the area has contributed greatly to the diverrsoty of the area and how it has evolved from just 14 merchant families that first resided in the area in 1396
Galway cinsists of a diverse selection from the bustling city life full of cobbled streets and street musicians to the quiet elegant spanish arch leading on the the traquiul river corrib the connemara region is filled with the untouched irish beauty full of authentic irish experiences and the beautiful rugged coastline being worn down by the atlantic ocean the area really cater for all ages and needs with many options for every requirement throughput the county many international tourists travel to galway through ireland west airport knock or shannon airport which are the two closest access points from an international perspective and it is also only three hour drive from dublin which means it is easily accessible to all tourists visiting ireland
Galway has experienced the third highest number of visitors to the county after dublin and cork and over the past three years has continued to grow its visitor numbers
Galway has grown a strong reputation in relation to irish language food and history with the connemara region boasting many of these in there attractions to tourists the area has become very popular amongst tourists and since the introduction of the Wild Atlantic campaign launched by Failte ireland in 2014 it has drawn many people to the area bringing the tourism industry within galway to a new levek with ??? The wild Atlantic way in a drive route from the most northern point of ireland Malin head to the most southerly point in along the atlantic ocean in Kilsale mizen head in galway the wild atlantic way has 689km of ots route where it showcases many of the iconic places that people are now drawn to see including the connemara coastline galway city and the ghaelthacht areas of the region many of these areas have grown massively since the introduction of the campaignsince the beginning of the current pandemic galway has also seen a large rise in the amount of people looking to visit the area during there staycations this summer this will further aid the businesses in the are athat have suffered de to closure in the last number of months
Th ghaelthacht region of galway really aids the counties ability to stand out as these areas are usually only small communities that still withhold the irish language in every day life galway is very lucky to have many mainland communities especially in the cionemara region but laso it has three offshore islands that use the language many people visit the aran island to experience the irish way of living as very little modernisation has taken place herer and the local people have kept it well preserved from the impacts of tourism
This year galway was to be the european capital of culture and due to the covid 19 pandemic ot has hindered many of these plans from going ahead and some have gone ahead with very few of the people that should have been there in attendance this has affected the businesses who has bookings for events that were to take place during the capital of culture year many international tourists have been stopped entering ireland now unless it is for necessary purposes not for holidaying these businesses are now relying on the irish people and there staycations to provide them with an income during this tourism season as galw2ways highest number of visitors usualky comes from the UK and the US which this year wont be happening during the summer months due to the current pandemic
The pandemic has also cause many other events to be cancelled including one of the years biggest attractions to galway being the races which takes place from the for one week at the end of julty ans following ove to the bank holiday weekend in august anually this attracts people from all over the country and also some international tourists will visit for the summer festival at galway racecpourse
Target audience
Target audience for galway is extremely broad as different areas of the county cater for different age groups and different types of people all types of acsessiblity is also catered for the cultural attractions are spread throughout the county and are also very easily accessible for all age groups and ability i have split galway county into three main sections to allow me to explain the target audiance and how it diffrinciates between these areas
City centre galway city centre is a vibrant area of the county full of life and the hustle and bustle of any city country wide the city has many cultural attractions including the city museum the apainish archa nd the river corrib alao the long cobbled streets filled with live musicians over the summer months gives the area a sense of energy and livliness the city centre is diverse in terms of tourists and the availability of different accomadation and attractions the city centre targets itself at younger generation looking for the busy city life with plenty happening and going on the aim would to be to attract young groups couples the city is well known for attracting hen and stag parties due to nits very active nightlife with many bars restaurants and nightclubs all in close proximity to the city centre
Ghaelthacht this area attracts many young students as they come herer to improve there language skills especially during the summer months many parents will pay for these young students to visit these areas which fully immerses them into the itrish language and culture nearly all them are domestic tourists and usually visit the area and live with a local family for three weeks during the summer months
Many musicians also visit ghaelthacht areas for similar types of curses these will cater for all age grpuos and abilities where students will come to spend time working with a professional player of the given instrument
Conemara this area is very much aimed at families getting a break from reality and from day to day life connemara is designed as an escape for busy life it is very tranquil with many family
Friendly activities to attract all abilities and ages of children and adults connemara has many beautiful landscapes hikes walk cycles the beautiful kylemore abbey located in the area aswell has proved as a big attraction to families small coastal town in the areaoften attract many families due ti the access to water sports the aran islands and veach areas all of which are suitable excursions for fmamilies of all aages
Many older couples also visit the connemara region for the peace and quiet and the natural scenery and rugged coastline for this group of people there are many drive route which follow the wild atlantic way and showcase the beautiful scenery along the coast many of these are easily acsessible from the drive route
The wide variety of accommodation in connemara also suits families and older couples as there is all accommodation options available many familiesa re now opting for the camping and glamping options which are up and coming all over the connemara region there is also many family friendly hotels in the area for families that choose that option
With the current situation many families are choosing to go camping or use of a campervan as many of them do not want to be exposing themselves or children to other people in the hotel b and b hostel environment many people want t be able to bring all there own belongings and use as little outside belongings as possible
Cultural tourist segments
Cultural tourists are divided into seven sections each of these sections allow the tourist to seek something different in terms of the cultural experience the thre main areas that ireland are looking to attract are the following and it is from these that our cultural offerings provide thye best experience
Culturally curious these are the people people who locate them selves in a central location nd use well serviced accommodation they are more than just yout average tourist they are more explorers and are looking fir attractions that may be slightly off the beaten track these tourists are often very active and conscious of the environment and surroundings
Social energisers these people are looking for a high energy experience ususaltt high adrenaline situation with a good story to tel on return they are not looking to relax they are looking to return from there holiday revitalised
Great escaper usually interested in escaping dsay to day business an easily accessible area enjoying the landscape and the elements usually couples innn 30’s sme withy young children want some adventure and exploration but nothing to strenuous
Range of offerings in terms of culture and creativity
Galway holds so many cultural and creative offering to there visitors the list below embraces some of the most popular attractions in terms of culture and creative offerons throughout the county and what people now come to visit the area for there are many more offerings than this that are un and coming in the tourism appeal to galway the city is seld hold many cultural spots that attract many people such as the spanish arch and the claddagh ( the meeting of the corrib riveeer with galway bay )and the creative offerings within the city include music food and drink through breweries tours food trails and music workshops for people to become more informed on how there food and alcohol od made or produced and to improve there irish muic skill many visitors come to workshops with professional musicians
Capital of culture events galway was nominated to be one the capital of culture within Europe in late 2019 many plans and events were in place after this to cater for the large numbers of people who would be looking to attend the area during this time this summer was to celebrate galway for all its cultural attractions and attract more visitors to the area who want to embrace the cultural aspects of galway unfortunately at the time covid 19 had not hit Ireland and die to this and the global pandemic all the events had to be cancelled as they were outside of the government guidelines for then to go ahead the event began back in February and will run till the 31st of January 2021 and the team running the events are working closely to reorganise as many of these events as possible these dates have been chosen to cowncide with the Celtic calendar when the events were originally orgainised there were 1900 events orgainised and 154 projects to be undertaken in the county galway city is the centre point of the European capital of culture but events will be held in towns and villages are kind the county they have all been worked in relation to the Celtic calendar and represent the four Celtic seasons umbilical bealtaine Lughnasa and Samhain these are all seasons in Celtic sulture that would have included some form of a celebration Galway 2020 will officially commence on the 1st February with a spectacular weeklong series of launch events, culminating in a large two-hour public spectacle in the Claddagh area of Galway city. The capital of culture Galway 2020 opening event onFebruary 8th will begin Galway’s year of events as European Capital of Culture and will involve many of the amazing musicians dancers and businesses that will be involved throughout the year there will be live music, fireworks and other performaces The orgainisers behind the amazing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics will be working hard to plan and organise the opening ceremony. Wonder Works,, will produce the event which will feature a broad array of people from community volunteers from across Galway city and county whom have put many hours and dedication into making this year so special to the county and putting it on the map for years to come
Some of the main highlights for the year are as follows these are all planned throughout galway the finish light artist kari kole will be lighting up an area of the Connemara mountains in a Finnish light display
New piece of art work will be done to represent the young people of galway by an American artist david best
A mirror pavilion will be held in the claddagh area of the city and then in a 4000 year old bog located in the Connemara area
The druids theatre will be bring a one act play across the entire county visiting many towns and villages to perform
The crossing the line festival coming from Europe is a collection of work from Irish and European artists with intellectual disabilities will be showcased
Many transatlantic stars from America and Northern Ireland will come to perform concerts in the region during the year
and finally the unsung project this is a project for mother’s and children who lived and died in the tuan mother and baby home to express this tome through light and sound
Kylemore abbey the history of kylemore abbey spans over 150 years and involves much tragedy and romance innovation and education a broad spectrum of events have happened in the abbey over the years the Benedictine nuns arrived to kylemore in 1920whej there abbey in beguin was destoyed kylemore has a school on the ground until 2010 when it was closed many of the Benedictine nuns taught here he school was for boarders and day pupils the school was only open to girls and often attracted foreign students who came to the area to learn english
The Benedictine nuns also ran a farm and guesthouse on the grounds and but unfortunately in 1959 ot had to be closed during to a devestating fore since the school also closed in 2010 the nuns are now working to to develop new educational activities for the tourist attraction many Irish myths and folklore are based areound the grounds of kylemore it had a stunning castle and lake on the grounds surrounding by beautiful walled gardens and walkways a cafe and shop on site aswell it is a very popular attraction for people visiting Connemara and has grown massively with the aid of the wild Atlantic way
Galway cathedral the cathedral is located on the river corrib in galway just north west of the city centre amd is open daily from 8.30 am to 18.00 this is a free amenitie for visitors to come to but they do ask for a donation of two euro to help them maintain the cathedral and to keep up the high standards they currently have the cathedrals name is our lady assumed into heaven and st Nicholas amd was started being built in 1958 it is one of the largest and most impressive buildings located in the city and attracts many people to it at the tome the cathedral was built it cost nearly one million Irish pounds to complete the cathedral it boasts a variety of very impressive art pieces stain glass windows on a gothic Rena Asian world style
Galway markets
The galway market is open all year round it is located on church lane near st Nicholas church in the bustling city centre at the markets the sellers provide the visitors with local and fresh produce and crafts many of these sellers have been here selling there produce through a number of generations of there families and hold strong pride in there products saturday is the main trading day for the market with the largest amount of sellers present on that day every weekmany local people visit the market weekly to get shopping and all local fresh produce
the galway Christmas markets are one of the biggest attractions for galway city centre during the months of November and December the markets begin in mid November and welcome an array of different cultures from all over the world to showcase the different products that they celebrate this time of year with the markets take place in eyre square which is lit up with an array of colourful lights and displays last year over 650000 people visited the markets with one of the main attractions being the large Ferris wheel placed at the top of shop street in galway and other amusements surrounding it for the duration of the markets there is entertainment Santa’s grotto apres ski bar all proving popular amoungst the visitors
Menlo castle is a lovely ruin of an old 16th February castle located on the river corrib in galway city today all that is left here is a ruin of the walls the castle belonged to the Blake’s whom at the time were known to have owned many property’s throughout Mayo galway and clare the Blake family held a festival in the castle for the local people annually called maying in Menlo it is now a beautiful back drop for riverside walks along the corrib
Cliften castle was built by John darcy in 1812 whom was the founder of Clifton town which today is known as the capital of Connemara most of the current day visitors come to see the grounds and walk around the area as all that remains of the castle is ivy strewn walls
Dun aounghas located on the largest of the offshore islands inis mor it is located right on the cliff edge and is one of the largest prehistoric stone forts on the islands the fort contains three large stone walls with large upright stones surrounding the fort this was to deter attackers from the area the area is made of rough terrain and would be more suited to an able bodied person as the area is not paved and nearer the fort is loose stone underfoot the fort is located one kilometre from the visitor centre and it costs 13 euro for a family of four to visit the centre unfortunately at this time due to covid 19 the visitor centre has not been able to reopen
Cnoc suain is collection of old renovated thatched cottages located on 200 acres of ground people visit here as it is a place to learn relax and embrace the Irish’s culture it is a family run business and the family teach many of the old Irish skills to the visitors the visitors stay onsite in the tha red cottages many come for food language or music classes and the environment allows no dostraction from this located in spiddal on the border of the English and ghaelthacht areas there is no outside distraction from the fully immersive expirence
Salt hill located just outside the city centre with plenty of links in terms of transport salt hill provides the visitor with an all round glimpse into what the rest of the county has to offer for people whom are u able to leave the cuty maybe sure you lack of transport salt hill gives them a glimpse of the rough Irish coastline and what the remainder of the wild Atlantic way has to offered salt hill has a lovely town area with plenty of shops and restaurants
Connemara national park is open all year round to the public there is no admission fee to the park or to view the exhibitions in the visitors centre that has been developed here many guides are on hand to inform and show people the natural flora and fauna that live in the parkour park is surrounded by an array of beautiful mountains with many hikes and walks around the park allow people to discover the true beauty of the area it is suitable for families as well with an outdoor picnic area and children’s play area on the ground the audio visual expirence now available here gives people a strong insight into life in Connemara and the remote Irish lifestyle the natural beauty of the area shows the preservation that had taken place and the breathtaking view allow visitors to understand the real passion ots people have for the area
Key stakeholders involved
Galway county council galway county council have a large impact on the tourism indistry in galway they are in charge of many of the critical decisions that need to be made throughout the city any licenses permits and checks that are needed for events festivals markets to take place the council also provide a lot of funding to update certain areas of the cuty and improve them for the visitor galway county council work had to conserve the natural landscape that exists in the county while still encouraging visitors to the area this in turn supports the local businesses in the area to stay open and providing more services to the visitor the more available services kept open in the county the more visitors the area will be able to attract galway county council work tirelessly to keep the streets and river corrib area litter free and ensure the public rubbish disposal is available for all visitors they are a vital asset to the sucsess and the growth in galway and put a lot of time and work into this years capital of culture event where they were providing staff to ensure lisenses and permits for all the events were got and that all areas were ready for the event preparations they were heavily involved in the opening ceremony which took place the 1st of February they ensured the route was clear and safe and barriers were in place for all visitors along with many other safety measures that needed to be implemented
Local businesses hotels attractions shops the local businesses in an area make up much of the stakeholders in and area they provide the back home to desicions being made about tourism in the area including long term businesses I the area to inportant desicions means that there is sustainability and inclusion leading to less dissagreements when businesses are involved they have a say in what happens in there area and can include there opinion before any major desicion is made that they are unable to change the local businesses will attend meetings to decide what the best way foward is and how they can improve the services they are attempting to provide the incoming customer during this year many businesses were involved in the capital of culture events that took a lot of funding and orgainosation which that are low having to attempt to move to later dates to allow there business to still be promoted by the capital of culture title
Failte Ireland provide the area with more global engagement and training they supply and information base for stakeholders in the area to come back to and to check in woth what has been sucsessful in other areas and what they need to improve on to make the area to a more globally accepting standard they also provide funding in the form of campaign inclusion such as the wild Atlantic way which has been very sucsessful for the galway region failte Ireland are a stakeholder for all Irish tourism businesses providing training information and standards that must be maintained within the area
Marketing
Galway tourism this is a website that strongly promotes all that galway has to offer wor is well laid out and markets the area very well with different areas to allow you to find best hotel rates transport routes links to e wild Atlantic way website along with in depth knowledge of all the amenities throughout the county the website focuses on finding the right experience for everyone it includes all upcoming events and ticket sales for the events it is an overall inclusive place for visitors to find out as much as possible about the county and what would suit them and there groups needs
Wild atlantic way the wild Atlantic way has been a massive boost for galway county it is a long distance driving route spaned from Malik to mixed head travelling all along the west coast of Ireland since 2014 visitor numbers to the area have improved massively with galway being a hotspot along the route as it embraces many different elements of oroeah culture the wild Atlantic way has used tv campaigns to help promote the are there use of social media has helped aswell posting images of these areas to a globally acsessible platform inticsed people to stop here in galway galway was also fetured in a number of the wild Atlantic way television advertisements that had helped to promote the area even more to domestic tourists by being broadcast on national television country wide
Branding
Bustling bomhein the busting bohemian brand centres itself in the city it’s been named as this due to the large array of cultures that have landed in the city for many different reasons mainly dur to the university of galway that is located in the city that attracts thousands of students annually to the area and also many people come from all over Europe for work in galway as it has a diverse range of workplace options available this gives the fun bohemian feel to the city that many people love and it’s one of the most prominent brands to the place as it embraces the people living there and there cultural differences being embraced by the National people
Culturally pleasing galway is a culturally pleasing location as it broadcasts many of Ireland’s good and strong Irish history and modern living stories it gives a wide variety to the visitor the Connemara area boasts beautiful Irish’s scenery and language with food and music workshops it draws the visitor the authentic tic Irish expirence the city centre shows a more modern Ireland that still holds onto its cultural values to any visitor looking for a cultural expirence galway often ticks all the boxes woth the short journey between the modern and older fashion amenities many people visit the both areas while holidaying here and embrace the area also the island provide a cultural expirence for the guest it brings many people back to an old Ireland and show what things used to be like in years gone by going to the islands many people find it like stepping back in time with bery little cars and Irish language spoken amounts the local people it shows the guest old Ireland and how things used to be prior to the modernisation of the city and surrounding areas also Connemara to a degree boasts this old Ireland brand but not as strongly as the islands the islands have been preserved like this where as Connemara has had the cities influence
Aestically pleasing galway city is very pleasing to the eye and visitors find this through it long cobbled streets and ot beautiful eyre square and the river corrib at the top of the pedestrianised area it allows the area to be seen as an aestically pleasing place the shop fronts are all very well kept and the positive atmosphere that fills the city the musicians and dancers that line ship street give people a taste of traditional Irish music and dance and this all adds to the aesthics of the location the river corrib is a very popular place where people often sit to escape the busy city without ever having to leave it to visitors the city provides and all inclusive expirence the remainder of the county thourghly embraces this aswell but just in a different sense the amazing landscapes give the galway brand another leg as the city pleases through shops and the river the countryside pleases with the amazing coastline and mountains that are all around galway this gives the insight to guests to see the two different galway areas that they can visit and the two different brands the one county offers
Capital of culture this has given galway a strong grand throughout Europe the city is now recognised for its cultural offering and the availability of different cultures needs and offerings are more openly available now the capital of culture has opened up many avenues and brought a lot of tourism to the area it has provided people throughout Europe woth more information on what the city is like and how it’s people embrace life here this gives the brand of welcoming and ability to bring all cultures together capital of culture has also welcomed people from further a field than just Europe there has been some American musicians involved aswell and it opens the county up more to the American market capital of culture has given people world wide the insight into the city taht all are welcome that it is a friendly cultural rich place that embraces everyone this brand will stand to the county for much longer than the capital of culture events will last and it will help attract people in years to come
Issues within the city
The market caters for people of all ages and abilities and has lots of different amenities to suit this public facilities are available but die to rapidly growing demand there is a need for some more public toilets parking spaces and bins being the main amenities that need to be addressed as In recent years galway has grown as a tourist attraction and with the wild Atlantic way promotions it is becoming more and more popular traffic is also a problem writhing then city especially during commuter time’s as many people commute from outside the city to work here some tourists may find this off putting some traffic management plan to help workers avoid driving into the city centre may be needed to help this and to ease the traffic at these times overall there are very few gaps in the market it is more issues that need to be addressed to help the area prosper even more
Strategic recommendations
More transport links the links between the city centre and Connemara are poor the tourist really does require a car which is unsuitable for everyone especially if the person doesn’t drive more sustainable public transport links need to be established to make the Connemara and outer city areas not eacsessoble to everyone also the transport links around the Connemara area are extremely poor leaving very little option for the tourist
More inclusion of the islands the Aran islands are a key part of galway county more effort into advertising there presence in the cuty centre is needed as they truly embrace the Irish culture and heritage it is key to people having a fully immersive expirence that they see all of the areas and how life in the Irish islands have evolved and how much is left unchanged
Conclusion
Appendices
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