Fáilte Ireland is now inviting entries for the 2017 European Destinations of Excellence Network (EDEN) competition, which focuses on a different aspect of tourism each time. The theme for 2017 is “Tangible Cultural Tourism”. The tourism authority is looking for applications from emerging destinations in Ireland who have developed a specific tourism offering based on their cultural assets.
Speaking about the competition, Fáilte Ireland’s head of investment & innovation, Paddy Mathews said, “Through the EDEN Competition, Fáilte Ireland wants to showcase the best examples of how cultural assets have been sustainably used to benefit both tourists and local communities. Ireland has long been recognised for the richness of its cultural heritage which is of critical importance to our attractiveness to visitors. We have over 5,000 years of material culture which tells an exciting and engaging story for our visitors. Communities across Ireland are fiercely proud of their heritage and culture and many have harnessed these assets through tourism to deliver real social and economic benefits for their local areas.”
EDEN is an EU project promoting sustainable tourism development across the European Union and is currently held every two years in 29 member states. The 2017 winning destination will receive a photo shoot of the destination, a certificate of achievement and an awards ceremony. The EU will also offer the winner in each member state international promotion of the destination through the EDEN web-portal, a short promotional visual presentation, and participation in the EU EDEN network.
Full competition details are available at www.failteireland.ie/eden or by emailing [email protected]. The closing date for entries is 4pm on Monday July 31.
