Exclusive wristbands have been designed for visitors to this year’s All-Ireland Rowing Championship in Ballyshannon to allow them to access exclusive special offers from local businesses.
With plans well underway for the All Ireland Rowing Championships 2017 to be held in Ballyshannon for the second year in a row, Donegal County Council has joined forces with the Donegal Bay Rowing Club to produce wristbands for visitors to the event.
Seamus Maguire, Chairman of Donegal Bay Rowing Club was presented with the new wristbands by Joy Harron, Marine Tourism Officer at Donegal Public Service Centre last week. The wristbands which have been funded by Donegal County Council will be available to visitors attending the All-Ireland Rowing Championships.
The wristbands will ensure that visitors to the event can be identified, they are non-transferable and waterproof so can be worn for the full weekend. Local businesses are offering discount packages and special offers exclusively to those wearing the wristbands.
Seamus Maguire, Chairman of DBRC said “the use of wristbands this year is a new initiative and will allow us to better track the number of visitors to the event. It is also a fantastic way for local businesses to create special deals just for rowing visitors.
“Any businesses offering special deals will be listed on our website and included on our social media marketing channels. We will be sending information to those attending in advance of the event to let them know where to find participating businesses”.
August is going to be a very busy month for rowing in Donegal with the All Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships returning for a second time to the Lakeside Centre in Ballyshannon on 18th – 20th August 2017.
Donegal Bay Maritime Festival is also taking place in Donegal Town the same weekend. Donegal Bay Rowing Club a coastal rowing club affiliated to Rowing Ireland are taking the lead on arrangements for both events, but are working closely with Donegal Tourism CLG and Donegal County Council who are providing funding and other supports for these events.
Donegal Tourism CLG, Marine Tourism Marketing and Development Officer Joy Harron stated that “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Seamus and the team at DBRC again in 2017 and look forward to promoting these excellent maritime events, which are of significant importance on the annual calendar of events in Donegal.
“As Donegal was named the Coolest Place on the Planet 2017 by National Geographic Traveller, it is certainly the coolest place to get out on our coastline and experience the joys of rowing.”
The All Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships event was such a success in 2016 that Donegal Bay Rowing Club decided to host the event back to back in Donegal in 2017. This is fantastic news for the County Donegal and testament to the hard work of Donegal Bay Rowing Club and the many volunteers involved last year.
The All Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships and Donegal Bay Maritime Festival both have a significant and positive impact on tourism in Donegal. Visitors travel from all over Ireland and further afield spending several days and in some cases up to two weeks taking time to explore the county before and after the rowing event.
The Donegal Bay Maritime Festival also attracts visitors to Donegal Town to enjoy the marine themed entertainment on the Diamond and at the pier. Many visitors at these events last year were blown away by the beauty of County Donegal, the warm welcome and the wide range of activities and attractions. Many have returned since to spend more time touring the county and have told friends and family about the wonderful experience of visiting Donegal.
The All Ireland Rowing Championships also has a major economic impact on many locations. This is not just in Ballyshannon but the positive effects can be felt in many surrounding areas such as Bundoran, Donegal Town and other areas.
In 2016 the event generated approximately €1 million for the local economy. There are opportunities for businesses in County Donegal to develop packages and special offers for visitors to the event.
Businesses interested in participating in wristband offers should contact Seamus Maguire for more information on 0879736198 or e-mail seamuspmaguire@gmail.com . For more information visit www.donegalbayrowingclub.com
