International Conference To Explore Community Tourism

Sept. 21, 2007 - PRLog -- Hosted by Clare County Council, in partnership with Shannon Development, the event will feature presentations from representatives of the EU-supported CANTATA Programme in Ireland, Wales, France, Portugal and Spain.  Mr. Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State for Environment & Energy will officially open the Conference.

Speaking ahead of the Conference Minister Killeen said, "There are many types of community tourism projects, including those in which the community works in partnership with a commercial tour operator.  However, one uniform characteristic of such projects is they give local people a fair share of the benefits and a say in deciding how incoming tourism is managed.  I look forward to hearing from some of those involved with community tourism projects across Europe."

Among those scheduled to address the Conference is Luis Cohen Brossie, Tourism Expert, Galicia, Spain 'The Dream Society – Offering New Experiences to Compete'; Paddy Maher, Tourism Community Activist & Manager, Michael Cusack Centre. 'Tourism and the Community'; Michael O'Brien, BMW Regional Assembly ‘INTERREG’; Peter McDermott, CANTATA Project Officer, Denbighshire, Wales 'Skills for Growth'; and Flavio Imperial, CANTATA Project Officer, Portugal 'CANTATA Studies – Diagnosis and Cultural Industries'.

“The upcoming Conference aims to discuss the exciting opportunities that exist for local people wishing to participate more fully in the tourism industry, for example through community networking”, explained Candace Ingram, Executive Planner, Forward Planning Section of Clare County Council.

Ms. Ingram continued, "Communities across Europe are increasingly creating their own Community Tourism initiatives, whether it be establishing bed and breakfast accommodation in a rural home or income-generating tourism opportunities for an entire village.  Those in attendance at the conference will hear of the many benefits that exist for indigenous people who get involved in cultural tourism, adventure tourism, recreational tourism, heritage tourism, health tourism, agricultural tourism and the increasingly popular area of special interest tourism."

According to John Quinlivan, who is Shannon Development's Regional Development Manager in Clare, "Shannon Development is delighted to be actively involved with the CANTATA Programme, as it very much represents the future of community tourism throughout Europe.  We have been promoting the concept of communities taking ownership of the promotion of their own area and are delighted to work in partnership with the groups that are doing so."

"The upcoming conference offers a great opportunity for people from this region to understand the common challenges associated with the development of the various types of community tourism programmes.  More importantly, those in attendance will discover more about the innovative approaches applied by the European partners in the CANTATA Programme to address these difficulties", concluded Mr. Quinlivan.

'An Experiment In Community Tourism' takes place at the Burren Coast Hotel, Ballyvaughan, County Clare on Friday 28th September 2007.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor:
-   To arrange an interview please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 086-8534900 or media@dunphypr.com.
-   For further information please contact Clare County Council, Economic Development and Planning Department, Unit 1, Westgate Business Park, Kilrush Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.  Telephone 065-6821616 (9am-5pm).  Fax 065-6892071.  Email planoff@clarecoco.ie.
-   FRIDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER 2007
08:50 Registration/Coffee
09:00 Welcome Cllr. Stuart Davies, Deputy Leader, Denbighshire
County Council
09:10 Conference Opening by Mr. Tony Killeen T.D.,
Minister of State for Environment & Energy
09:20 – 09:40 Introduction
Speakers: Sian Morgan Jones, Project Coordinator & Carolyn
Brindle, Tourism & Marketing Manager
'People are at the Heart of CANTATA'
09:40 – 10:20 Session 1 – Research in Community Tourism
Chair: Luis Leal, President Montemor Velho
09:40 – 10:00 Speaker: Flavio Imperial, CANTATA Project Officer Portugal
'CANTATA Studies – Diagnosis and Cultural Industries'
10.00 – 10.20 Speaker: Keith Thompson, CANTATA Project Officer Poher
'Keywords to the Poher'
10:20 – 11:00 Session 2 – Capacity Building and Marketing in Community Tourism
Chair: Jean-Pierre Jeudy, President of Poher
10:20 – 10:40 Speaker: Luis Cohen Brossie, Tourism Expert Galicia
'The Dream Society – Offering New Experiences to Compete'
10:40 – 11:00 Speaker: Peter McDermott, CANTATA Project Officer Denbighshire
‘Skills for Growth’
11:00 – 11:20 Coffee
11:20 – 12:30 Session 3 – Networks in Community Tourism
Chair: Cllr. Stuart Davies, Deputy Leader, Denbighshire
County Council
11:20 – 11:45 Speaker: Candace Ingram, Forward Planning Officer,
Clare County Council. 'Networking – The Road to Success'
11:45 – 12:15 Speaker: Tomas MacConmara, Arts/Heritage Officer, Clare County
Council. 'Local Network Development'
12:15 – 12:45 Questions and Answers
12:45 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:45 Session 4 – The Practical Experience
Chair: Emilio M. Martinez Rivas, Manager Galicia
14:00 – 14:30 Speaker: Arwel Jones, Independent Assessor CANTATA Programme
‘Application of Lessons Learned’
14:30 – 15:00 Speaker: Paddy Maher, Tourism Community Activist & Manager,
Michael Cusack Centre. 'Tourism and the Community'
15:00 – 15:45 Speaker: Michael O’Brien, BMW Regional Assembly 'INTERREG'
15:45 – 16:00 Conference Closing Remarks
Speaker: Cllr. Stuart Davies, Deputy Leader, Denbighshire
County Council
Speaker: Alec Fleming, Manager, Clare County Council
16:00 Close of Conference

Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
Clonboula,
Connolly,
Ennis,
County Clare
IRELAND
www.dunphypr.com
media@dunphypr.com
00353-868534900 (Mobile)
00353-656839692 (Fax)

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