24/02/2021
Some great suggestions and observations from our neighbours...keep it up 👍
Rebranding Killarney / Rebranding the Kerry peninsulas
A vision for the future...
KILLARNEY - THE SUSTAINABLE GATEWAY TO THE SUSTAINABLE PENINSULAS.
Recent in the news is a discussion about rebranding Killarney. Joined up thinking should not pit one town or region within a county against each other. In the face of it if we are to engage with tourism/failte Ireland about rebranding, it should be a discussion about rebranding all of Kerry. But I am not here to discuss that proposition for this post, I'll deal with Killarney.
So, back to ‘Rebranding Killarney’. Killarney is a beautiful place. A gorgeous town situated in one of the best natural environments any town in Europe (or for that matter, the world) could ask for. Yes, it has the facilities to accommodate tourist demand, yes it has fabulous entertainment, amazing restaurants, nightlife, wonderful pubs, music and great locals who are friendly and welcoming; everything that a visitor wants. Mostly it is a safe place to visit and your stay here will be one of the highlights of any vacation. So that is it in a nutshell.
So if I was an agency (and perhaps I should put in my two pence worth along with all the other agencies vying for this 100’s of k worth of branding business) I will put forward the following.
A message to Killarney.
Sell Killarney, not as the gate way to the Wild Atlantic Way, but as the keys to access your mountains, rivers and lakes.
Sell Killarney for a genuine welcome
Sell Killarney for the amazing walks, cycle ways and leisure time that you can spend outdoors in your natural environment. It's on your doorstep and is the essence of the towns attraction.
Sell Killarney for the wonderful facilities.
Sell Killarney for the craic.
Sell Killarney for its wonderful food.
Sell Killarney as being genuine.
Sell Killarney for its amazing entertainment.
In other words sell Killarney for what it is.
Which brings me to my point.
Living in Caherdaniel the recent news on measured tourist visitor numbers (2019) at Derrynane has been quite the revelation. That Derrynane is the most visited attraction in Kerry says a lot about the resilience of the community here and how they have engaged, not with failte Ireland or the many tireless workshops about how we should run our businesses but because in the last decade, a concerted local effort by local businesses to promote the area through social media and online, selling its unique natural environment, seaports, horse riding, seaweed foraging, eco tours on the sea, walks including ‘dark Sky’ experiences and genuine ‘culture’ such as music and heritage, in particular Derrynane House. However, such attention, while welcome is also a cautionary one, for the area can only sustain a certain volume and with legacy infrastructure the environment can only sustain a fixed amount of visitors at any one time. This includes coping with sewerage, phosphates from showers, washing machine detergents entering our freshwater systems, refuse, vehicular traffic issues, spatial distribution of visitors, not enough accommodation, effects of wear and tear on the natural environment, disturbance to nesting birds and wildlife etc., etc.
So one of my questions is ‘What is the maximum number of visitors that Caherdaniel/Derrynane can sustain’? I do not know the answer to this question but what I do know is that in the absence of foreign visitors in 2020 and during the Covid pandemic, the visitor numbers to Caherdaniel/Derrynane far exceed the 2019 official stats. The area came under immense pressure for a two month period, so much so that it became unsustainable from an environmental and people management perspective. This is what is missing from any talk about rebranding. How much tourism is enough. Killarney really needs to have this conversation before any rebranding takes place.
Which brings me back to my original point ‘The rebranding of Killarney’. This is how I would phrase any rebranding going forward for the next two decades at least... KILLARNEY - THE SUSTAINABLE GATEWAY TO THE SUSTAINABLE PENINSULAS.
To help achieve and offset impact on the environment, especially from Killarney day trip/bus tour footprint around the peninsulas...
Think about introducing an environmental access levy to the peninsulas. This fund could be used by local communities to create sustainable initiatives.
If you decide to visit the Di**le, Iveragh or Beara peninsula’s then do so in the following ways…
Use environmentally sustainable transport.
Bring only recyclable materials and do not place in local bring centres, take them back to Killarney for recycling there.
Remember to buy and eat local. Bringing your own food or lunches is not good for local business situated along the peninsulas.
When buying souvenirs; buy sustainably sourced, non toxic and non harmful to the environment goods. Check labels that they have been genuinely made in Ireland/the locality and not brought in from other countries and rebranded as Irish.
Ask if what you buy aligns to the sustainable fashion industry goals and supports a circular economy.
Support locally sourced produce/local growers and if possible organically grown and certified.
Try and not buy farmed or organic salmon as this produce is destroying the local marine environment here.
Where possible eat locally sourced meat and poultry that is both chemical free and /or free range.
Do not buy water or minerals in plastic bottles as plastic is killing seabirds and marine life. Bring your own reusable keep cup or flask.
Buy coffee/tea and use keep cups or use compostable materials.
There are many more and perhaps people can add to the list, agree or disagree. Sustainable and local circular economies are the key to County Kerry’s future. As I am wildlife focussed and there are many more urgent and pressing matters facing our local environment here at Caherdaniel / Derrynane I will continue to comment on these over time.
Thank you.
Vinny Hyland / Wild Derrynane
