Waterford Tourism ....A suggestion

Scaldy Ned

I'm posting lots tonight because i've been on after the game and i havent been on for ages, so im in Deise mood .
But heres my topic...I'm currently working in the North of England and meeting great people all the time.
It strikes me that in my experience most people i mix with in the UK always say they've never been to Ireland but always wanted to go...I tell them it's only an hour away ...why not go. It seems to me that a lot of business could be garnered by nudging these people .....and a nudge is all it needs in most cases.
Where i work/live at the moment is a nice place and the people are great ...but if they could see Dunmore,The Vee,The proper decent Pubs...and if they could realise that English people dont need to be scared of going to Ireland....Because unfortunately a lot of them still think they wouldn't be welcomed and dont realise that there's 200,000 plus English living in Ireland...They're always shocked and surprised when i tell them this.
I think that the Generic Bord Failte advertising wont work for us because it's too easy to just go to Dublin which most do as it's what they see as visiting Ireland.
How then should it be done ? Well here's my experience.....There's 200 people working where i am. Now one thing about the English ...They love being in clubs. Angling clubs, Football Clubs,Cycling clubs ,Golf clubs, Car clubs etc etc...The list is endless. From what i see they're always looking for a venue for the next outing....and with the right encouragement why not go have an adventure together in Waterford. I think that if an initiative was launched to get into the grass roots of British life it could pay huge dividends. Go to all and any club events by City and put Waterford on show.Organise deals with Hotels etc ..... I think Most would jump at it just by being reassured that they would be welcomed and treated well. I think theres a huge untapped market thats not being acted on because we assume Board Failte know best. Any other Waterford people abroad that agree with me ?

fuzzy dunlop

Scaldy Ned wrote: »

I'm posting lots tonight because i've been on after the game and i havent been on for ages, so im in Deise mood .
But heres my topic...I'm currently working in the North of England and meeting great people all the time.
It strikes me that in my experience most people i mix with in the UK always say they've never been to Ireland but always wanted to go...I tell them it's only an hour away ...why not go. It seems to me that a lot of business could be garnered by nudging these people .....and a nudge is all it needs in most cases.
Where i work/live at the moment is a nice place and the people are great ...but if they could see Dunmore,The Vee,The proper decent Pubs...and if they could realise that English people dont need to be scared of going to Ireland....Because unfortunately a lot of them still think they wouldn't be welcomed and dont realise that there's 200,000 plus English living in Ireland...They're always shocked and surprised when i tell them this.
I think that the Generic Bord Failte advertising wont work for us because it's too easy to just go to Dublin which most do as it's what they see as visiting Ireland.
How then should it be done ? Well here's my experience.....There's 200 people working where i am. Now one thing about the English ...They love being in clubs. Angling clubs, Football Clubs,Cycling clubs ,Golf clubs, Car clubs etc etc...The list is endless. From what i see they're always looking for a venue for the next outing....and with the right encouragement why not go have an adventure together in Waterford. I think that if an initiative was launched to get into the grass roots of British life it could pay huge dividends. Go to all and any club events by City and put Waterford on show.Organise deals with Hotels etc ..... I think Most would jump at it just by being reassured that they would be welcomed and treated well. I think theres a huge untapped market thats not being acted on because we assume Board Failte know best. Any other Waterford people abroad that agree with me ?

I agree with much of the sentiment anyway. Bord Failte are not that reliable IMO to market the city by itself. They are probably affected by the same parochial antics that everything else in Ireland seems to be. Therefore the question is how can Waterford market itself more for itself?

Scaldy Ned

fuzzy dunlop wrote: »

I agree with much of the sentiment anyway. Bord Failte are not that reliable IMO to market the city by itself. They are probably affected by the same parochial antics that everything else in Ireland seems to be. Therefore the question is how can Waterford market itself more for itself?

Well i think i've put a few suggestions on how i could see that happening. But i'm sure professional marketers could develop the ideas.
For example ....i'm sure that if people here could buy a ticket that would bring them straight into Birmingham Airport , Be on a flight and in your hotel room all within two hours theyd jump at it. Its really not that pretty round here and even though the Peak district and the Dales are close by it's too familiar.
Waterford has so much to offer that its unreal....Being here has made me realise that and also that when i'm home i take it for granted.
Do you know for instance that a Pint of Guinness is poured like a pint of Lager here and that a huge amount of English guys have a desire to sit for the "Mythical Wait" and drool as the pints being poured....It's a small thing but Guiness is big here and a lot of people would have it on their bucket list to have a "Proper" pint in Ireland....Now throw say Mary Kennedy's thatch roof pub on the Dunmore road into that mix and a round of Golf in Faithleg or Wherever and they'll be fighting for the last ticket...Also the English are big advocates of Routine...If they like somewhere they will keep coming back. If any English people are reading i would be interested in your views

fuzzy dunlop

Scaldy Ned wrote: »

Well i think i've put a few suggestions on how i could see that happening. But i'm sure professional marketers could develop the ideas.
For example ....i'm sure that if people here could buy a ticket that would bring them straight into Birmingham Airport , Be on a flight and in your hotel room all within two hours theyd jump at it. Its really not that pretty round here and even though the Peak district and the Dales are close by it's too familiar.
Waterford has so much to offer that its unreal....Being here has made me realise that and also that when i'm home i take it for granted.
Do you know for instance that a Pint of Guinness is poured like a pint of Lager here and that a huge amount of English guys have a desire to sit for the "Mythical Wait" and drool as the pints being poured....It's a small thing but Guiness is big here and a lot of people would have it on their bucket list to have a "Proper" pint in Ireland....Now throw say Mary Kennedy's thatch roof pub on the Dunmore road into that mix and a round of Golf in Faithleg or Wherever and they'll be fighting for the last ticket...Also the English are big advocates of Routine...If they like somewhere they will keep coming back. If any English people are reading i would be interested in your views

I think the Birmingham area could provide a good market for hill walkers and the out doors types. Not the adrenaline junkie lets say a mature client. I think the Copper Coast is a major source of business along with the Comeragh mountains etc. I think Waterford needs to get the message out their that everything Ireland has to offer is in one little pocket called Waterford. The Georgian and medievel history in the city. A mini wild atlantic way called the copper coast. Plus a mini west of Ireland centred on the Gaeltacht Stradbally etc. I personally think this is the way to go. The ease of acess via the motorway to Dublin and Direct flights from Birmingham to Waterford airport could be capitalized upon. But all these advantages are not taken advantage of by Bord Failte as far as I can see.

Scaldy Ned

I look at the Board Failte ads and see people walking up mountains or cycling like billyo and looking out at the Atlantic from the top of a mountain somewhere.....It's all well and good but the fact is that most working people have simple desires and just want to go somewhere that don't have to do anything except eat and drink....It's what time off is all about for most of us right ?
Also its a known fact that working class people spend more money than those who are lets say well to do.
They don't make a point of having a day in the pub with 10 mates etc...Don't get me wrong im not saying promote drink only and fill the pubs to bursting point...what i am saying is that we acknowledge that we do Pubs well and we should exploit it because when people go away with their mates its important...lately we seem to be embarrassed to promote that side of our heritage , but what we should be saying is YES we do pubs brilliantly, come with your friends and see for yourselves.
Got to be said ...In general English pubs are terrible. They just dont seem to have grasped it yet....LOL

Scaldy Ned

fuzzy dunlop wrote: »

I think the Birmingham area could provide a good market for hill walkers and the out doors types. Not the adrenaline junkie lets say a mature client. I think the Copper Coast is a major source of business along with the Comeragh mountains etc. I think Waterford needs to get the message out their that everything Ireland has to offer is in one little pocket called Waterford. The Georgian and medievel history in the city. A mini wild atlantic way called the copper coast. Plus a mini west of Ireland centred on the Gaeltacht Stradbally etc. I personally think this is the way to go. The ease of acess via the motorway to Dublin and Direct flights from Birmingham to Waterford airport could be capitalized upon. But all these advantages are not taken advantage of by Bord Failte as far as I can see.

Agree 100% ...The reason i started this thread is because as i said i'm currently working and living in the UK. Because of the match today i put WLR on and listened to the news and it appears that everyones getting freaked out because we cant get on the "Wild Atlantic Way" thing...whatever the F that is. And it seems that even our politicians are fighting to get us on it......WTF.
Lets be honest ...i Dont know but id guess that this is aimed at Americans who will be terrified to walk up the quay unless there's twenty of them and they have a personal guide....If they do happen to stop anywhere it's a glass of guiness with 4 straws LOL.....I've seen it happen in the Granville.
Heres an idea ....Why not get on WLR and ask people with family abroad to to ask people where they live "what would make you go to Waterford ?"
I honestly believe that the Generic advertising only brings people to Dublin....who are now incidentally claiming that they are actually the oldest city and not Waterford......I ask you ....how much more can we take LOL.
Please dont show this post to any Kilkenny people ...It would break my heart to see them doing it first ...LOL

Edit:Only joking KK i love going there a fantastic City and North KK people are the nicest you could meet LOL

Harry Palmr

Bord Fallshort have come up with their new wheeze to give the east their (our) own tourist trail - Ireland's Ancient East which covers the east coast and south as far as Cork

http://www.thejournal.ie/irelands-ancient-east-2047035-Apr2015/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prbVhZ_ygHA

Scaldy Ned

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Bord Fallshort have come up with their new wheeze to give the east their (our) own tourist trail - Ireland's Ancient East which covers the east coast and south as far as Cork

http://www.thejournal.ie/irelands-ancient-east-2047035-Apr2015/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prbVhZ_ygHA

I listened to this on WLR today on the lunchtime show.... they were complaining that they wanted to be included in the "Wild Atlantic Way" because it sounded sexier ...EH ...WTF . It's what inspired me to start this thread. It's a load of rubbish
. I've worked around in a few countries and i know that people would love Waterford .....But it's this Vague "visit Ireland" bull that doesn't work. Because when people see that ...inevitably they will go to Dublin first . Waterford needs an active committed approach and it will pay dividends,
I was travelling through Manchester a couple of weeks ago and there were 5 different stag and hen parties going to Dublin just on my flight. Birmingham is Britains second biggest city.....what about going after that market for a direct flight to Waterford ....Shopping, Beaches,Clubs,Craic....It's there for the taking but i think that we rely on people with degrees and assume they must know better. Degrees are great and we have some really bright young people but it doesnt compare to first hand knowledge.

Harry Palmr

Back in the day before the web thing had started (about 25 years ago) it occurred to me that every piece of Waterford Glass should be dispatched with a fold out illustrated map of the Deise and every addy and phone number you could need to visit the city. Sadly that boat has long since sailed, the current Crystal output being tiny.

run_Forrest_run

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Back in the day before the web thing had started (about 25 years ago) it occurred to me that every piece of Waterford Glass should be dispatched with a fold out illustrated map of the Deise and every addy and phone number you could need to visit the city. Sadly that boat has long since sailed, the current Crystal output being tiny.

sure they could have added a similar map of Slovenia and the Czech Republic while they were at it.

Harry Palmr

Not in 1990!

fuzzy dunlop

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

sure they could have added a similar map of Slovenia and the Czech Republic while they were at it.

You could say this about any product in this day and age.However the marketing name, branding and strategy had nothing to do with the Czech Republic or Slovenia. It was "Irish Crystal" and that is still the case.

fiachr_a

Bring them over, hand them some placards and get them to march along the Cork Road. Call this holiday experience the Wild Waterford Way.

fuzzy dunlop

fiachr_a wrote: »

Bring them over, hand them some placards and get them to march along the Cork Road. Call this holiday experience the Wild Waterford Way.

And why would we do that?