Darragh's Soapbox: What should Waterford's 'visitor attraction of scale' be?
The attraction in question would be located on the north side of the River Suir and would be integral to Fáilte Ireland's overall tourism strategy for the county.
At this month's plenary meeting of the local authority, CEO Sean McKeown said a project described as a "visitor attraction of scale" was progressing through the early stages.
The attraction in question would be located on the north side of the River Suir and would be integral to Fáilte Ireland's overall tourism strategy for the county.
Although an exact attraction has not yet been decided on, the attraction would be viewed as a landmark one with the capability of transforming Waterford’s tourism offering and elevating the region’s international profile.
Upon hearing the news, we took to the streets of Waterford to ask locals what attraction they would like to see.
said that Waterford's vast history as a port could be utilised.
"I think we should have an attraction about the history of the port because Waterford historically is a very important port.
"Maybe we could have a ship that does tours for tourists that delves into the history of the port. We’re told very little about that history, which is a shame because the docks here have so much history going back many centuries. That’s what we should be focusing on because it will attract people."
said that an increased retail offering could attract tourists just as much as a largescale attraction.
"I think retail would attract tourists and it's something we don’t have at the minute in the city so I think at the North Quays it will be something good to attract tourists."
and said a recreational park that could inspire new businesses could be developed.
"A green park with restaurants and cafes would be very good for the area," Wiktor said.
"It would spawn new businesses and it would give people a variety of things to do and see, if there were ponds, recreational areas and places to eat and drink."
