Cobh shortlisted in Tourism Towns competition

For the third year in a row, Cobh has been shortlisted as one of 15 towns in this year’s Tourism Towns competition, organised by Fáilte Ireland.

Cobh will compete against towns like Killarney, Kilkenny, Clonakilty, Tralee and Youghal and was selected following the initial detailed application form that was submitted by Cobh Tourism. The next stage of the competition involves an on-site visit to Cobh by the Fáilte Ireland assessors. This visit will be carried out anonymously over the coming weeks.

Shops, restaurants, cafés, pubs and tourist attractions will be visited and the judges will be looking for a town that realises the importance of tourism, has top tourism attractions and excels at welcoming visitors.

To be eligible to enter the Tourism Towns competition a town must be in the top 100 in the National Tidy Towns competition and be presented to the highest standards of cleanliness.

In 2014, when Cobh made the final top ten, the adjudication report stated that *“The locals and staff alike were all very friendly and helpful when approached, eager to assist and offer information. Cross promoting is in operation and upon enquiry, all tourist locations were happy to promote their neighbours.”*

They also however commented that *“Retail is not its strongest point and the variety of dining options limited. A wide range of dining options was lacking.”* The judges went on to state, rather confusingly that “*Unfortunately it appears that the town is divided on the maintenance of the town as clearly a number of buildings and areas need to be maintained.”*

Cobh Tourism is asking all businesses and residents of Cobh to be aware that judging in this and the Tidy Towns competition is imminent. Keeping up to date on local events, being aware of all that there is to see and do in Cobh and offering the highest standards of customer service while maintaining a genuine welcome and keeping all areas well presented has never been more important.

The announcement of the top ten finalists will take place at the Tidy Towns Ceremony in early September 2015 and the overall winners will be announced in November.