The Irish weather
seems to have finally decided to turn up the thermostat. We are at long last beginning
to see what many would constitute as summer! There have been blue skies spotted
around the “Sunny South East” and temperatures, are eventually, ever so slowly
creeping into the higher teens. This will all be very good news, for the many
thousands of people coming to our hills and coastlines over the next number of
weeks and months.
There can
be no doubt, that the BBC drama series Redwater, a spin off from “Dum, Dum
Dum...” Eastenders drama, filmed in and around Dunmore East last year, will
attract additional interest in all things Waterfordorian. There are even
rumours that one of the stars, Shane Richie aka Alfie Moon, is seeking to
purchase a holiday home in the village? This of course might just be some good old
fashioned PR, coming from one of our friendly, local auctioneers, to drum up even
more interest in that village and what it has to offer? But who cares as long
as it works!
Being
showcased by both the national broadcasters of Ireland (RTE) and the UK (BBC),
is priceless in terms of the exposure we will be given. It is up to the “Powers
that be” to be ready to piggyback on this FREE publicity and push our region,
as a destination of choice, to our biggest tourism market. This is of course
our neighbours across the water, in the UK.
With all
matters Brexit and the small issue of a General Election, becoming all
consuming across the UK, we urgently need bodies such as Tourism Ireland, to
get on board, pushing our region to the British holiday masses. These will be unparalleled
levels of FREE, exposure. It may well be that the people of the UK will look
West rather than South or East for their holidays in 2017, as the falling out
with the rest of the EU continues at a pace.
We ALL need
to be ready for a possible influx of UK visitors, looking to explore what
Waterford has to offer on the back of this BBC One drama.
Just look
at what the series Games of Thrones and Outlander have done to the local
economies of these two locations. There has been extraordinary interest, in
people exploring the very streets and sets, where their heroes have walked and
talked. The power of a national broadcaster filming in a specific identifiable
location cannot be underestimated.
It would be
great to have the odd Cockney Pearly King and Queen walking around Waterford,
being introduced to the rasher Blaa, our local craft beers and even Waterford
phrases like “Well Boy”, “Well Girl” and “Would you look at the scut of him!”
Can you just imagine the conversation they would have when they returned home
to Blighty?
A “Warm
Waterford Welcome” would be essential if we are to get those much vaunted
TripAdvisor, five circle reviews.
At long
last, we are now moving very quickly from a heavy industrial economic past, to
that of a tourism economy. Having said that, our manufacturing capacity is
actually still very healthy here in Waterford. We’ve many, many innovative
multi-national and pioneering indigenous companies based right here. This new
manufacturing is now modern, automated clean and lean.
Waterford
is ever so slowly and surely beginning to reinvent itself. Quite rightly, there
is so much to look forward to. Despite this, so many people have asked me over
the last few weeks, about the Government’s fiscal monetary intervention, needed
for the infrastructural works on the North Quay (our SDZ). There is now a
realisation that if the exchequer purse strings are not loosened and €50,000,000+s
are not forthcoming, the two identified game changing projects for Waterford
City, may NOT materialise.
These first
Swallows of Summer divert our eyes from the longer term goals. We must keep the
heat up on our six national public representatives, to deliver our SDZ Euro.
The clock
is well and truly ticking towards that pay day!
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