“We need to think bigger in terms of promoting our rich culture and heritage”
“Every resource deployed in Drogheda, whether it be aimed at economic development, heritage and conservation, or even litter management should have tourism at its heart.”
So said Councillor James Byrne in support of a motion he proposed at yesterday evening’s Borough District of Drogheda meeting that Louth County Council should develop a bespoke tourism strategy for Drogheda.
“We should have tourism on the brain like other towns do” Byrne said. “Drogheda has so much to offer but can do better.”
He suggested there should be a renewed focus on festivals and events post pandemic which he said would help to attract visitors and indeed residents of the town, “…these have been successful in the past” he pointed out.
The Council responded by saying that tourism in Drogheda comes under the Louth Tourism Action Plan which is a vital element of the Boyne Valley strategy.
“I believe a tourism plan for Drogheda should be put in place to complement these regional ones” Byrne said. “Failte Ireland’s, and indeed Louth County Council’s, confidence in Drogheda as designated ‘Destination Town’ for Louth should be a game changer for the town.
“We need to think bigger in terms of promoting our rich culture and heritage. So much more can be done with the likes of St Laurence’s Gate, the Buttergate, the Dale, the Boyne river to mention a few.
“Hopefully the funding streams will be available and pursued by Louth County Council on behalf of Drogheda because of its new-found status.
“I also believe that working closely with strategic partners like Failte Ireland, the OPW and Meath County Council is vital” he said.
“On a related note, I welcome the recently announced Louth and Meath Destination and Tourism Recovery Programme and I look forward to seeing the details of this from Failte Ireland in the coming weeks.
“It’s time to put Drogheda on the tourist map!”
