Has it really only been 10 years? As the Wild Atlantic Way reaches the big one-zero, there is a near unanimous sense that it’s been an unqualified success, but in the early days not everyone was convinced. Some derided the brand as an empty marketing strategy, while others dismissed the new signposts with the wiggly lines as an eyesore.
Patrick Freyne: 12 reasons why it hasn’t always been cool to be Irish - including Murder, She Wrote and Batman By spotlighting lesser-known sights alongside the main draws, the Wild Atlantic Way is all about spreading the love across quieter nooks. The route serves to unify a thousand different experiences along the west coast, so clambering about Horn Head in northwest Donegal, for instance, has a thematic connection with going for a breezy walk on Inchydoney Beach in West Cork.
It might be 10 years old, but in tourism terms, the Wild Atlantic Way is still a relatively young brand. Which means there are still some growing pains. One of the key challenges confronting tourism authorities is visitor dispersal, especially along the route’s northern half, which includes parts of Connemara and all of counties Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.
Critical issues include a lack of off-season infrastructure, limited winter-ready attractions and, despite repeated attempts by tourism authorities, a failure to fully the land the marketing message that entices visitors during the colder winter months. The result is an over-reliance on a short summer season, which leads to strains on local infrastructure and the risk of environmental degradation, which impacts the long-term sustainability of the regions.