Visitor Experience Development Planning – Wild Atlantic Way

Project Overview

Tourism Planning Group has worked in association with TEAM Tourism Consulting to develop a series of Visitor Experience Development Plans for the Wild Atlantic Way, a 2,500 km route that was launched in 2014.

Our work commenced in 2016 with developing the methodology for a pilot initiative on the Skellig Coast. Since then, our work has progressed on developing seven further Visitor Experience Development Plans.

The key objectives are to position each coastal area as a ‘must do’ destination and motivate visitors to stay longer and spend more in the local economy through creating compelling experiences. The plans are designed to animate and strengthen the overall brand proposition, the Wild Atlantic Way, while supporting local values and aspirations.

A signature element of our work has been creating narrative frameworks that capture the essence of each stretch of coastline, and the attributes that differentiate the local area from elsewhere along the Wild Atlantic Coast. In identifying experiential themes that highlight key assets and underlying stories, the framework offers a thematic structure for experience and product development.

Through extensive consultation with tourism businesses, communities and local governments, the planning process establishes a strong appreciation for what makes an area distinctive, develops a basis for strengthening this positioning through experience development, and clarifies supporting infrastructural needs.