Go Visit Inishowen welcomed tourism businesses from across the peninsula to its Meet & Greet 2026 event at the Inishowen Gateway on Tuesday, 5 May, providing a valuable forum for industry collaboration, shared learning and discussion on the future direction of tourism across Inishowen.

The event provided an opportunity for local tourism enterprises to connect directly with key destination partners, including David Leonard of Fáilte Ireland, Sarah Nolan of Donegal Tourism and Anthony Doogan, Chair of Go Visit Inishowen and a member of the Inishowen Destination Experience Development Plan (DEDP) implementation team, alongside Niall McCaughan, Manager of Go Visit Inishowen, who hosted and facilitated the evening.

An initial summary of Go Visit Inishowen’s work was given for the last year when the new team were in place. Highlights include the production of a new format Visitor Guide, Meet the Maker Arts & Crafts Week, Inishowen Hillwalking Festival, attending trade shows like Balmoral Show, Clonmany Agricultural Show, Holiday World and others, meeting Cruise Ships, I love Inishowen Day, as well as high engagement face to face at their Visitor Centre, and online through various platforms. In particular Niall highlighted the direct engagement with the local Trade, where the organisation has travelled across the entire region on a regular basis, meeting those providing our core tourism offer. The profile of the organisation locally and nationally has visibly increased, and there is a positive feeling that Inishowen very much punches above its weight in relation to its excellent tourism offer.

Discussions at the event were framed by the ambitions set out in the Inishowen Destination and Experience Development Plan, which identifies Inishowen’s natural landscapes, cultural heritage, cross‑border position and strong community base as central to delivering sustainable, experience‑led tourism growth as part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Aligning Strategy with Local Delivery

A central focus of the evening was ensuring that national, regional and local tourism strategies are closely aligned with the realities and opportunities facing businesses on the ground. Panellists and attendees explored the key priorities shaping tourism in Donegal and Inishowen over the coming years, with a shared emphasis on building a resilient, higher‑value tourism economy that delivers benefits for visitors, communities and businesses alike.

Key themes included the importance of extending the tourism season, supporting the development of compelling off‑peak experiences such as walking, food, heritage and wellness, and encouraging collaborative packaging of short breaks and midweek offers.

The role of Inishowen as a strategic gateway destination, particularly its proximity to Derry and the wider Northwest, was also highlighted, with opportunities identified around cross‑border itineraries, shared storytelling and short‑stay experiences that encourage visitors to explore more of the peninsula.

Supporting Businesses to Grow and Adapt

The Meet & Greet also highlighted the range of supports and opportunities available to tourism businesses, including access to destination marketing campaigns, storytelling and content creation, imagery and branding toolkits, trade engagement, festivals initiatives and business development supports delivered in collaboration with Fáilte Ireland and Donegal Tourism.

A strong emphasis was placed on supporting businesses to become more visible, bookable and market‑ready, and on encouraging stronger participation in coordinated destination campaigns through platforms such as Go Visit Donegal, Go Visit Inishowen and Discoverireland.ie.

Open discussion and engagement from attendees reinforced the value of ongoing collaboration between businesses, destination organisations and development agencies to help inform future planning and investment decisions.

Industry Reflections

Speaking at the event, David Leonard, Fáilte Ireland, said:

“Inishowen has clear strengths as a destination, and the Inishowen Destination and Experience Development Plan provides a strong roadmap for sustainable growth. Events like this are critical in ensuring that strategy is informed by industry insight and that businesses are supported to develop experiences that encourage visitors to stay longer and return year‑round.”

Sarah Nolan, Donegal Tourism, added:

“Meet & Greet events play an important role in strengthening relationships across the tourism sector. Collaboration, shared promotion and engagement in destination campaigns will be key to continuing to grow Inishowen’s profile in a competitive tourism landscape.”

Anthony Doogan commented:

“There is a strong sense of momentum across Inishowen. By working together and focusing on quality experiences, the destination is well placed to continue growing in a way that benefits both visitors and local communities.”

Niall McCaughan, Manager of Go Visit Inishowen, said:

“This year’s Meet & Greet builds on the success of previous events and reinforces the importance of creating space for meaningful dialogue within the industry. The level of engagement reflects a shared commitment to delivering the long‑term vision for tourism in Inishowen.”

The Meet & Greet 2026 event continues Go Visit Inishowen’s commitment to supporting collaboration, innovation and quality across the destination, and forms part of an ongoing programme of engagement with tourism businesses throughout the year.