'Go left for Louth' campaign should launch at Dublin airport as new tourism strategy adopted

A Tourism Strategy 2026-2031 for Louth County Council aims to grow tourism by building on unique visitor offerings and positioning the county as a sustainable destination aligned with Ireland’s Ancient East and the Boyne Valley region. Development priorities include food and drink tourism, activities, festivals, and events to attract visitors over the next five years. Councillors warned that limited hotel accommodation is a major challenge, especially in the south of the county, and questioned how major festivals will be supported without sufficient lodging. The council acknowledged accommodation constraints and plans to expand accommodation across the county. Progress will be monitored through annual Key Performance Indicators, and motorhome and camper van tourism will be supported by three sites by 2030, requiring operators and early site identification.

"A lack of hotel accommodation in Louth is the major challenge facing the newly adopted Tourism Strategy 2026-2031, councillors have warned."

"Officials acknowledged the challenges in providing accommodation to support a growing tourism industry. "We know there is a problem there, and we want to expand and deliver more accommodation across the county," said a council spokeswoman. She said it was an issue across the country, and not just a challenge in Louth."

"Cllr. Marianne Butler highlighted the growth in motorhome and camper van tourism, and noted the new strategy aims to provide three sites across the county by 2030. She added that the council would need to be identifying potential sites soon. "We need to put in place an operator for those sites as well," said Cllr. Butler, and asked what progress has been made in finding suitable sites."

"Cllr. Emma Coffey described the strategy as "very ambitious" and highlighted one of the key challenges remains accommodation, particularly in the south of the county. "If we have a strategic festival such as the Lu Festival or Boyne Valley Festival, how are we going to support that with accommodation?" She asked why the Tain Festival in north Louth was not included in the strategy."

Read at Irish Independent