The Curragh Racecourse was the setting for a special thoroughbred industry workshop hosted by Fáilte Ireland to kick-start Fáilte Ireland’s Thoroughbred Country Destination Experience Development Plan (DEDP).
Members of the tourism and thoroughbred industries in Kildare and Tipperary including trainers’ yards, stud farms and jockey schools gathered to commence the implementation of the Plan. Today marks the first in a series of workshops and events to drive the plan throughout 2022.
The Thoroughbred Country DEDP, launched in partnership with Kildare and Tipperary County Councils, is a new 5-year development experience plan for the region that will bring to life the extraordinary thoroughbred
The visitor experiences, which will include attractions such as behind-the-scenes tours, will be developed by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with industry stakeholders over 8 months. Industry members will be offered mentorship to develop saleable tourism experiences for their businesses, driving visitor numbers and enhancing the unique thoroughbred tourism offering in the area.
Brian O’Flynn, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland said “It is great to kick-off the implementation of the Thoroughbred Country DEDP with this workshop, attended by many key stakeholders from the tourism and thoroughbred industries in Tipperary and Kildare. The heritage and legacy of the thoroughbred is a hugely significant part of the tourism offering for Kildare and Tipperary and the country as a whole. We look forward to working with industry in the region to develop a suite of unique and exciting tourism products that will increase visitor numbers, dwell time and visitor revenue to Kildare and Tipperary.”
Speaking at the event, Laura Magee, Thoroughbred Country Coordinator said “This workshop is a great opportunity for the thoroughbred industry to collaborate with tourism colleagues and create experiences that will share the unique thoroughbred stories and culture with a wider audience. This is the beginning of an exciting journey the industry is looking forward to undertaking and we look forward to working with Fáilte Ireland and industry members across Kildare and Tipperary as we develop these experiences.”
The Plan includes a number of innovative and ambitious initiatives to be developed in the region over the course of the plan including:
- The new International Thoroughbred Trail
- The Irish National Stud Experience
- Coolmore Experience
- Mingle with the Stars Stallion Trail
- The Curragh Behind the Scenes Tour
- Trainers’ Yards Visits
The diversity and range of attractions and unique experiences across the counties will be highlighted and the plan will also develop a range of behind-the-scenes exclusive activities for tourists and visitors to the region.
