According to Orla Carroll, head of product development at Fáilte Ireland, tourism in the midlands is expected to “blossom” in a similar fashion to the Wild Atlantic fashion.

The counties affected the most by the transition from “brown to green” with the cessation of bog harvesting include Westmeath, Laois, Offaly, Longford, Roscommon, and portions of Galway. According to her, it will be co-funded by the EU and the Irish government with a budget of €169 million, of which €68 million is for tourism.

The “broad” programme aims to “encourage” private and community SMEs to “take advantage” from a tourist standpoint. Project kinds that are envisioned range from boosting accessibility and digital transformation to improving tourist experiences and low-carbon lodging.

From a tourist standpoint, the area is not as “mature” as other parts of the nation, according to Ms. Carroll. As part of the “regenerative tourism” approach, the proposal will also involve improvements to town centres.

“The entire concept is to improve and give back more in order to have a net positive effect.”

“Everyone wins by using this strategy, including the environment, business, locals, and tourists. But you do it in a way that safeguards the environment and restricts potential harm.”

“But for there to be a diverse economy, people also need to live there, work there, and promote tourism there. And I believe what we're all about is that everybody wants to live and work in the place where they were born, and maybe this will make that possible.”

Businesses and larger community organisations are encouraged to show their interest in the initiative, which was just announced.

“The landscape in this area of the globe is beautiful. The most important aspect of it is that we'll also be creating a trail system. They will be completely accessible to anyone who has a disability and is on foot, a bicycle, or both. People can now venture out as a result.”

“But when you're out and about, you also want to stop for a cup of coffee or a bowl of soup. And then the whole part of this is that we have accommodation, to provide stickiness for people to stay longer and that boosts the economy.”