Technology and Tourism in the North West

Technology and Tourism in the North West

Fáilte Ireland’s annual e-business conference event will take place at the Clarion Hotel, Sligo on Tuesday 24th April from 8.00am. This year’s conference, entitled “Your Online Focus – Home and Away”, will explore how technology and tourism can be brought closer together so that tourism businesses in Donegal and the North West can sell more effectively to the 21st century tourist both domestic and overseas.

The internet is the most important factor for almost half of those overseas travellers who decide to visit Ireland with seven out of ten relying on the web to plan their visit here.

Delegates will hear from a number of online experts such as Scott Field, Google who will outline how businesses can make themselves more easily found on Google and the tools that are available to make that happen.

Andrew Weld-Moore, Facebook will examine the benefits of setting up a business page using social networking sites, such as Facebook, and how tourism businesses can optimise their online presence for both domestic and international consumers.

Allister McGregor, Trip Advisor will also be present at the conference to discuss the prominence of customer reviews and how tourism and hospitality businesses can most effectively address issues associated with this enormously powerful and popular review platform.

Breakout sessions including an open house workshop will also take place during the day which will enable attendees to meet with the presenters and discuss their offerings on a one to one basis.
Looking forward to the conference, Mr Stephen Dudley, Fáilte Ireland’s E-business Manager, emphasised:

The majority of travellers now research, plan and book their holidays through the internet with many spending hours visiting a number of websites before making a decision. It is imperative for tourism businesses to engage with new technology and ensure that they online and ready for business. We are particularly delighted that this year Trip Advisor is taking part in the conference. Ensuring that you are up to speed with online reviewing and how to deal with it must be an integral part of a tourism business’ day to day activity.

Download full details here

Donegal and the Irish Open

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar TD recently urged members of the Donegal tourism industry to take full advantage of all the opportunities presented by the Irish Open which will be held in the nearby Royal Portrush Golf Club from 28th June – 1st July, saying “It is imperative that as the cream of golfing journalism descends on Antrim to cover the event that we take advantage of their proximity to win some reflective glory.”

  • Fáilte Ireland is endeavouring to leverage the event to the full benefit of Donegal by rolling out the following initiatives:
  • Top golfing journalists will be invited to visit the region and sample local golf product.
  • A special twelve-page supplement is planned to run on the 19th April in advance of the Open, promoting Donegal, Ballyliffin, Rosapenna etc as a top-class golf destination.

Fáilte Ireland’s Golf website will have a dedicated Irish Open page where it will promote golf and other tourism offers available in the northwest during the event.

View more Donegal Videos

Loganair Doubles Glasgow Donegal Flights

Loganair Doubles Glasgow Donegal Flights – Tourism Ireland warmly welcomed the announcement by Flybe franchise partner Loganair of its intention to double the number of flights on its Glasgow to Donegal route this summer – from three to six per week. The airline has also said it will waive baggage charges until the end of April.

Working closely with airlines to build demand for routes is a key priority for Tourism Ireland and this expanded service will certainly provide a boost for tourism from Scotland to Donegal and the North West this summer. Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Loganair’s announcement – that it will double the number of available seats on its Glasgow to Donegal route this summer – is good news indeed and will help to expand travel options for Scottish holidaymakers wishing to visit Donegal and the North West.

We look forward to working closely with Loganair and Donegal Airport to maximise the promotion of this route and to help drive demand for the flight. As an island destination, direct, convenient and competitive access services are critical to achieving growth in inbound tourism. Tourism Ireland is committed to working with air and sea carriers, airports and other tourism interests to drive demand for this service, and all other services to Ireland, and to help maintain our vital network of routes and services.”

Donegal Live 2012

Donegal Live 2012

Donegal Live 2012 will be held this year in Donegal Town, Co Donegal.

A spectacular three day event in May will feature live open air concerts in The Diamond and a major exhibition area highlighting the best that Donegal has to offer in the the categories below.

Exhibitors – Download the application form here…

Donegal Town Community Chamber in association with Fáilte Ireland, Donegal Tourism and the Donegal Association are proud to have been selected to host this Major Tourism promotional event, which took place in Dublin’s Temple Bar, The Iveagh Gardens and Glasgow over the last two years and which highlighted all that County Donegal has to offer tourists from both home and abroad.

Donegal Town will be transformed into a Tourism exhibition centre, with Live Music Concerts from National and International Bands on the Diamond area. Our tented village on the Pier will house exhibitors showcasing all that the county has to offer the discerning visitor. Looking Forward to seeing you there.

Click image to enlarge

Donegal Live 2012

Donegal Live 2012

Donegal Events

Buncrana Events

Buncrana Events

CHAMBER AGM – 13th March
The Chamber’s Annual General Meeting will be held in the Inishowen Gateway Hotel on Tuesday, 13th March at 8.00pm. Matters for discussion will include the election of new Committee members for 2012/13 and all current members of the Chamber are asked to attend.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE – 17th March (pic above by Charlie Giblin Photography)
This year’s parade will take place on the day itself, Saturday 17th March, at 3.00pm. The organising committee are looking for as many people as possible to join in, so if you are interested in entering a float or if you would like to volunteer to help out as a steward, contact 086 843 5431, 086 366 9905 or 086 600 2155.

AN POST RAS – 24th & 25th May
The biggest event in Irish cycling, the 60th annual An Post Ras, arrives in Buncrana on Thursday, 24th May. The event attracts national and international teams and wide exposure through the press and television. This year Buncrana has a Stage Start / Finish, with the riders arriving at the Main Street on Thursday afternoon then staying overnight before starting the next stage on Friday morning. As part of the celebrations, the Chamber is putting forward a ‘Buncrana Ras Queen’ who will present bouquets of flowers to the stage catergory winners on the race day. The Queen will be selected at the Mayor’s Ball at the Inishowen Gateway Hotel on 11th May.

DONEGAL INTERNATIONAL RALLY – 15th – 17 June
The Donegal International Rally brings world-class action from local, national and international rally drivers back to the peninsula between the 15th and 17th June, with stages around Buncrana and Inishowen on Friday 15th June.

NORTH ATLANTIC FIDDLE CONVENTION – 27th June – 1st July
The North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCO) will be held across Derry and Donegal, including events in Buncrana, from 27th June to 1st July. This is the first time the Convention has been held in Ireland, welcoming hundreds of participants and thousands of visitors to celebrate traditional fiddle music and dance from Ireland and across Scotland, the Shetland Islands, Canada, the USA and the Nordic countries.

View all self catering accommodation in Buncrana and Inishowen

Donegal Events | Inishowen Events | Buncrana Events

Getting Donegal Business Online

Getting Donegal Business Online

The Getting Business Online team will be coming to the Radisson Hotel in Letterkenny on Friday the 9th of March to help Donegal businesses get set up online. Best of all, it’s free! The event is open to any business who currently does not have a website/domain name.

Where: The Radisson Blu, Letterkenny, Co.Donegal.
Date: Friday, 9th of March.
Time: 9am-1pm drop-in for business advice (no appointment necessary).

11am-11.30am presentation from Google, the County and City Enterprise Board, and local business owners.
1pm-7pm: Please register your 1-1 slot with a Google volunteer below.

What’s on offer at the event?

Free .ie, .com, .eu or .biz domain (*Please note that for a .ie domain you will need either a VAT no, CRO no or RBN no)
Training on how to build your website
1-1 demo of how the tool works including how to add pages, content, videos, images, galleries, e-commerce & much much more..
1-1 advice on the many free tools & resources that are available to help you build and grow your business online
Registration:

Please email gettingdonegalonline@google.com to reserve your 1-1 slot and a member of the team will be in touch.

Getting Donegal Business Online

Getting Donegal Business Online

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Good Morning Donegal

Good Morning Donegal

Every day, the Good Morning Service calls over 370 people in Donegal to say ‘Good Morning’ and make sure they are safe and well…

In this film we speak to speak with the people who make the calls and the people who receive them, all of whose lives have changed thanks to the Good Morning Service.

Good Morning Donegal
The service starts their day with a Good Morning phonecall on an agreed time and day to make sure they are well and to answer any queries or provide any information they might need. The call is mostly just a friendly chat about everyday things including what’s happening in the area. It goes without saying that calls are strictly private and confidential. If you do not answer your phone at the given time we will make contact with your first chosen contact to make you are safe and well.

Film by We are Still
 
 
 

Digital Marketing Workshop Wed March 7th

Two of Ireland’s leading digital marketing experts, Krishna De and Gareth Dunlop, will headline a free workshop on online strategy for small businesses on Wednesday, March 7, at An Grianan Hotel, Burt.

The workshop, Digital Marketing De-Mystified: A step by step guide to attracting more customers to your small business, is being organised by Donegal County Enterprise Board as part of Enterprising Donegal Business Week 2012.

The workshop is free but you must register in advance. Please contact Celine Carroll, Donegal County Enterprise Board on 074 9160735 or email ccarroll@donegalenterprise.ie to register for the event.

A few photos from the Event

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Location

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Earagail Arts Festival 2012

Earagail Arts Festival 2012

7th-22nd July 2012

Two weeks of music, theatre, visual arts, film, literature, circus and carnival at Ireland’s only countywide arts festival. The Earagail Arts Festival would like to invite you to come and experience a wealth of unforgettable events in the spectacular surroundings of County Donegal on the North West seaboard of Ireland. Celebrating the 24th annual programme the next Earagail Arts Festival will feature a fantastic array of premieres, new work, and unique collaborations by a host of local, national and international artists.

From movie screenings in forests and castles to innovative theatre, street arts and circus in gardens, parks and state of the art venues, our unique programme reaches out across County Donegal, so wherever you’re staying you’ll be able to enjoy a feast of entertainment located in the heart of one of Ireland’s most outstanding areas of natural beauty.

Website: www.eaf.ie