Some Interesting Facts...

Walking is by far the biggest activity-based tourism activity in Ireland, attracting 743,000 overseas visitors, four times more than golf, which is the second largest activity. (Fáilte Ireland, 2012)

According to a recent estimate, Scotland generates £1.4bn from nature-based tourism (Bryden, Westbrook, Burns , Taylor , & Anderson, 2010).

By 2015 walking tourism is projected to account for 22pc of Scotland’s tourism revenue. (Tourism Intelligence Scotland)

Evidence from Fife in Scotland shows that the Fife Coastal Path contributes between €24m and €29m to the local economy, supporting the equivalent of 800-900 full time jobs. (TNS Travel and Tourism & SQW, 2006)

Based on this data and similar case studies, we estimate that if Irish land access laws are similarly modernised, hundreds of jobs could be created in the tourism sector in the medium term.

Walking is by far the largest activity-based form of tourism in Ireland – attracting projected to account for 22% of Scotland’s tourism revenue. (Tourism Intelligence Scotland) Evidence from Fife in Scotland shows that the Fife Coastal Path contributes between €24m and €29m to the local economy, supporting the equivalent of 800-900 full time jobs. (TNS Travel and Tourism & SQW, 2006)

Based on this data and similar case studies, we estimate that if Irish land access laws are similarly modernised, hundreds of jobs could be created in the tourism sector in the medium term.

Surveys suggest that Ireland’s scenery is a huge draw for overseas visitors to Ireland, but much of it remains inaccessible. (Fáilte Ireland , 2010) (Buckley, Hynes, & van Rensburg, 2008)

Contrary to common perceptions, hikers and walkers spend significant amounts: the average spend per person among hikers and walkers in 2011 was €873. (Fáilte Ireland, 2012)

As landowners have discretion to deny access, a wide network of well-documented walking routes has not been established. Many walking routes are on roads rather than land and lack of signage leaves tourists confused about where they are allowed to walk. Taking these factors combined, Ireland currently offers a walking tourism product which is significantly inferior to that of Scotland, England and Wales. (URS Scott Wilson, 2012)

Physical inactivity costs the Irish exchequer €1.6 billion per year. (Cullen, 2010) Changing the land access laws could help to reduce these costs by increasing recreational walking.

 

Referenced from 'Open for Jobs – the case for modernizing Ireland’s land access law'.

 

 

If you build it...

That demand for access to the countryside has never been greater is not in question. Wherever access is made possible, where an attractive piece or countryside is opened, or a corridor through the country is made available, then people will flock to it.

That thought struck me when we recently visited the Newry Canal Trail at Scarva. Walkers, runners, and cyclists were out in there hundreds enjoying the canal towpath. As a result, the cafe at Scarva Visitor's Centre was doing a roaring trade.

One has to ask would it be doing such great business if the canal trail was not there to attract all those people in the first place? Not likely. And one can only wonder what other economic opportunities are being missed out on where such access to the countryside does not exist.

An idea whose time has come...

Well done to Robert Dowds, TD. The logic of the argument is unquestionable.

http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2013-06-14a.5

Devon Coast to Coast

We're just back from walking the devon Coast to Coast walk. Starting at Wembury Beach in South Devon and finishing at Lynmouth on the north coast, its a great walk incorporating as it does the Two Moors Way and the Erme-Plym Trail (the first day of walking and the bit that links the south coast to the start of the Two Moors Way at Ivybridge). It took us 6 days, averaging around 16 or 17 miles per day. Some days were longer than others of course, and the last day came in at around 19.

The countryside is amazing of course, expecially Dartmoor and Exmoor. What's also amazing, for someone who lives in Northern Ireland at any rate, is the fact that the countryside is just so accessible. So many paths, so much open country where you are free to just roam, safe in the knowledge that you have the right to do so. It is little wonder that activity tourism generates so much money for the local economy. All the way along the Coast to Coast trail a thriving tourist trade has developed. B&Bs, country farm house accommodation, taxi services, luggage transfer, package tour operators, all only really exist because the trail exists in the first place.

The lack of political will to improve the access situation in Northern Ireland continues to inhibit such economic opportunities for similar rural communities here.

Keep Ireland Open

I've been following the Keep Ireland Open website (http://www.keepirelandopen.org)  for a number of years now. They campaign for better countryside access in the Republic of Ireland. They have a tough job on their hands and I wish them well.

I've sometimes thought that some of their rhetoric to be, well, a little whiney, a little negative, and often downright confrontational and abrasive.  I can't really blame them, because the situation 'down south' is pretty dire from a countryside access point of view and it must be downright frustrating to be (or at least appear to be) that lone voice crying in the wilderness.

However, perhaps a change of tactics are in order. Instead of simply complaining about the poor legislative framework and general all round lack of access, I've always thought they would be better spending their time building relationships with those who would benefit from an overhaul of the countryside access laws. It shouldn't take too long to realise who these groups are. A long term strategy to change hearts and minds is what will eventually tip the balance politically.

Of course to do all this requires getting your facts straight, and making sure the story you tell is a convincing and compelling one. An idea can be overwhelmingly powerful, but only if it makes sense, if it has logic and right on its side. To this end, its good to see them listing some nice stats on their Spring 2013 newletter. Keep it up guys, and start thinking about that strategy.

White Easter

Managed to squeeze a quick walk in yesterday around Hillsborough Forest Park. I like this forest, its got a nice feel to it, even if it is rather small. Nice lake, castle grounds, mixture of coniferous and native broadleaves. There is still a lot of snow hanging around as you can see from the picture. The temp was around 2 or 3 degrees at best and its not forecast to get much better over the next couple weeks. Brrr!

National Trust -

I wasn't feeling great this weekend (man flu), so we went this morning for a short walk at Mount Stewart on the shores of Stangford Lough, a National Trust property. Impressive mansion, nice gardens, short forest walks, that sort of thing. Its nice, pleasant, good to have around. However, I just can't escape the feeling that its completely inaccessible.

Inaccessible how? Its set within the wider context of some very nice countryside. Rolling hills, forest, fields and hedgerows - every single acre of which is completely off-limits to ordinary oiks like myself - and you. Unless you enjoy walking along a busy A-grade road as a pleasant experience, then you really shouldn't try walking to Mount Stewart. No paths or bridleways lead to it. Also, no matter where you walk in Mount Stewart you're going to eventually come across a 'No Access' sign. This is wrong, perverse; an equivalent property in England would be totally connected path-wise to the rest of the landscape. Access there is taken as a given

Don't get me wrong, the Trust do great work. As well as conserving great buildings, they maintain large tracts of countryside, and keep most of it open for access all year round. In the relative desert of access that is the Northern ireland countryside, they have developed many little oasis of accessibility. Divis and Black Mountain, North Antrim Coast, Fair Head, Slieve Donard, Castle Coole to name but a few.

But it strikes me as odd that the Trust, one of the UKs most powerful environmental campaigning organisations, and one supposedly committed to increasing access to the countryside, has never (to the best of my knowledge) addressed Northern Ireland's poor countryside access situation. Why not?