Tourism
- Huge increase in activity tourism
- Cycling ‘The new golf’
- Benefits spread throughout the community
- Especially in rural areas, where needed most
Failte Ireland estimate that 114,000 overseas visitors engaged in cycling while in Ireland, and accounted for €97 million of overseas visitor spend. A Fáilte Ireland study into the economic impact of the Newport to Mulranny section of the Great-Western Greenway in Mayo reported that the amenity would contribute an estimated €7.2 million to the local economy per year.
The Newport to Mulranny route is just over 3km longer that the Tralee to Fenit route.
The Tralee Fenit Greenway is ideally placed on the Wild Atlantic Way route to help capitalise on this market.
Health & Wellbeing
- Provide convenient, accessible, inclusive and inexpensive space for physical activity, increasing opportunities for daily exercise
- Reduce rates of preventable disability or disease and mental illness, medical costs and burden on the health system
- Improve physical fitness and mental health by building lifelong healthy habits
Economic growth
- Attract new businesses and homebuyers
- Stimulate job growth and revenue in tourism, recreation, construction, and maintenance
- Increase property values
- Potential to tackle and even reverse rural decline
- Spread the tourist spend outside of the main tradition tourism centres especially to Shops, B&Bs, Pubs, and restaurants in rural areas, where needed most
- Benefits spread throughout the community
Environment & Sustainability
Greenways protect important habitat and provide corridors for people and wildlife. They help improve air and water quality and provide enjoyable and safe options for transportation, which reduces air pollution.
Culture & Historic
- Preserve our industrial railway heritage
- Make rural heritage and historic places more accessible
- Provide informal opportunities to meet and interact with neighbours and tourists, improving community connections and strengthening cultural identity
- Increase desirability and attractiveness of the area by providing an unique amenity and a sense of place and pride.