Chapter 10: Tourism & Outdoor Recreation

 Chapter/Section

Chapter 10, Section 10.1

Amendment Ref.

10.1

Amend Text

Kerry boasts some of Ireland’s most iconic scenery including the Lakes of Killarney, the MacGillycuddy Reeks, the Beara, Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas and Valentia Island, Skellig Michael, the Slea Head Drive,  the pristine beaches of North Kerry and has the longest section of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Sustainable Tourism and Climate Action

Amendment Ref.

10.2

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-3: Liaise with strategic partners such as Fáilte Ireland (South-West Region), the National Parks and Wildlife Services, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Coillte, GSI, NGOs, Kerry PPN and other relevant national bodies and the local tourism sector on the identification of land use strategies for areas, focusing on their tourism, environmental and heritage value.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Sustainable Tourism and Climate Action

Amendment Ref.

10.3

New Objective

Explore best management practices for sensitive tourism destinations particularly during the peak tourist season.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10, Section 10.1.1

Amendment Ref.

10.4

Amend Text

It is the policy of KCC to work with Fáilte Ireland -South West Region to pursue a strategy for the development of a sustainable tourism industry which minimises adverse impacts on local communities, built heritage, landscapes, habitats, and species leaving them undiminished as a resource for the future, while supporting social and economic prosperity and sustainable modes of transport and infrastructure.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Tourism in County Kerry

Amendment Ref.

10.5

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-5: Engage and collaborate with strategic partners such as Fáilte Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Services Service, OPW, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Coillte, GSI and other relevant bodies and local communities to sustainably develop the tourism sector in Kerry and to ensure that the economic potential of the tourism sector is secured for the benefit of the local economy.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Tourism in County Kerry

Amendment Ref.

10.6

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-6: Promote and facilitate sustainable tourism as one of the key economic pillars of the County’s economy and a major generator of employment and to support the provision of facilities such as hotels, aparthotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, tourist hostels, caravan and camping, glamping, cafes, restaurants, and visitor attractions and activity tourism.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Tourism in County Kerry

Amendment Ref.

10.7

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-7: Support the implementation of the County Kerry Tourism Strategy and Action Plan (2016-2022) including the upgrading and repurposing of existing attractions, the sustainable development of the tourism projects and the preparation and adoption of successor strategies.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Tourism in County Kerry  

Amendment Ref.

10.8

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-8: Facilitate and support the implementation of the Wild Atlantic Way Tourism Plans, Fáilte Ireland Visitor /Destination Experience Development Plans, Heritage Town and Destination Town Plans and to support the continued collaboration with Fáilte Ireland and tourism stakeholders to ensure successful implementation and delivery of these tourism plans.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Tourism in County Kerry  

Amendment Ref.

10.9

Amend Objective

Amend KCDP 10-10 as follows: “Encourage tourism developments, increased visitor accommodation, interpretation centres, and commercial / retail facilities serving the tourism sector to be located within established settlements thereby fostering strong links to a whole range of other economic and commercial sectors and sustaining the host communities”. 

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Tourism in County Kerry  

Amendment Ref.

10.10

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-12

• Facilitating road improvement works, the provision of lay-bys/passing spaces and parking spaces at appropriate location locations.
• Addressing traffic and visitor management issues, with specific focus on integration of public transport timetabling to facilitate improved visitor dispersal, having regard to environmental sensitivities and designations in the area.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Tourism in County Kerry

Amendment Ref.

10.11

New Objective

Facilitate the provision of self-service brochure units and information kiosks facilities.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10, Objective List Heading Tourism Infrastructure

Amendment Ref.

10.12

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-20:  Facilitate the development of the necessary tourism infrastructure, visitor attractions and supporting facilities at appropriate locations in the County in a manner that does not have an adverse impact on the locality, host community and environment.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10, Section 10.3.4.1

Amendment Ref.

10.13

Amend Text

The KCC Corporate Plan 2019-25 seeks to ensure that all council services and buildings are accessible, socially inclusive, and customer-friendly, with a priority given to promoting equality and the promotion of an age-friendly county.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Accessible Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.14

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-22: Recognise the importance of universal accessibility to tourist services, facilities, and tourist sites and undertake enhancements to overall accessibility where appropriate in conjunction with key stakeholders and to ensure that information on these facilities are clearly promoted and publicised.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10, Section 10.3.5

Amendment Ref.

10.15

Amend Text

The Council supports the development of tourism throughout the county by encouraging the provision of a wide range of tourist accommodation types and will therefore direct new tourist accommodation including hotels, guesthouses, hostels, B&Bs and, holiday homes, glamping/camping/caravan and campervan sites to towns and villages with good spatial spread throughout the county.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10, Section 10.3.5.1

Amendment Ref.

10.16

Amend Text

While the Council considers that camping sites should be located on appropriately zoned land within established/or adjacent to existing settlements, small scale proportionate camping sites may be appropriate to complement tourism assets in rural and coastal locations within or adjacent to existing settlements.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Visitor Accommodation

Amendment Ref.

10.17

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-28: Encourage the sensitive redevelopment and / or return to suitable use, of derelict, vacant or redundant buildings, in appropriate locations in order to provide for visitor accommodation and tourism development. As part of this, potential for impact on wildlife should be taken into account as outlined in S 4.3.4 of this plan

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Adventure Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.18

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-33:Promote and facilitate the sustainable development of outdoor activities including winter and adventure sports, in appropriate locations, such as walking, rambling, cycling, land and sea-based activities with specialised centres and facilities in association with Munster Technological University, Fáilte Ireland, National Trails Office, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Local Development Companies, Sport Ireland, Healthy Ireland, Local Development Companies, Kerry Education and Training Board and other relevant national and County based departments and agencies.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Adventure Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.19

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-34: Promote and facilitate opportunities to create an integrated pedestrian and cycle network linking key tourist destinations in the County and to the national network subject to environmental, heritage, and normal planning constraints.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Adventure Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.20

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-36: Facilitate and promote a link between The Beara Way, The Kerry Way, The Dingle Way, The Saint’s Walk (Cosán na Naomh), The North Kerry Way and The Shannon Way to create a walking trail subject to ensuring that there will be no significant adverse effects on the environment and the integrity of the Natura 2000 network.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Adventure Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.21

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-37: Support the MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access Forum and initiatives in addressing aspects of social, environmental and economic development of the MacGillycuddy Reeks while ensuring that there will be no significant adverse effects on the environment including the integrity of the Natura 2000 sites.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Adventure Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.22

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-40: Support and facilitate the sustainable development of new greenways at appropriate locations and protect the functionality of existing greenways as keys components of an overall green tourism infrastructure and as standalone tourism products in their own right, and subject to environmental assessment.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Adventure Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.23

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-41: Support the sustainable linking and extension of existing greenways, long distance walking routes, blueways, and peatways within the county and the integration and linkage of them with other existing / proposed greenways, long distance walking routes, blueways and peatways both within and outside County Kerry.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Adventure Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.24

New Objective

Facilitate and support the rural recreation officer in developing walking routes at appropriate locations in North Kerry.

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Culture and Heritage Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.25

New Objective

Support and facilitate the sustainable development of linguistic and cultural tourism in Kerry. 

Chapter/Section

Chapter 10,

Objective List Heading

Rural Tourism

Amendment Ref.

10.26

Amend Objective

KCDP 10-65: Encourage appropriately scaled agri-tourism on- farm accommodation development to locate within existing or adjacent to farmyard complexes, such as the renovation of barns, outhouses or other existing structures or the siting of appropriately scaled camping, glamping or similar type accommodation within existing farmyard complexes for owner run agri-tourism / rural business use as short-term holiday home accommodation, subject to normal planning considerations. As part of this, potential for impact on wildlife should be taken into account as outlined in S4.3.4 of this plan.