A new tourism working group will examine the feasibility of developing another major attraction for Galway to equal the city museum and pursue the development of an indoor food market and cultural hub that would double as a base for the arts festival.

A draft Galway City Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP) has been published by Fáilte Ireland in response to the perception among visitors of Galway City that is “dominated by its vibrant nighttime economy and viewing the county as a base to explore the wider area”.

Their experience is concentrated within the city centre area with low levels of visitor movement outside of this ‘hotspot’, according to the national tourism agency.

“There is a limited choice of daytime activities that encourage the visitor to explore more of the city and stay for longer.  The Galway City DEDP has been developed with the aim of dispersing visitors across the city by increasing the range of things to do and see.”

A five-year DEDP will be implemented by a new working group whose goal will be to increase bed nights by 3% a year and growing annual revenue for the off-peak period by 1%.

In the wide-ranging plan, there are eight “destination catalyst projects” to drive that growth. These include opening up access and attractions in ‘Galway Neighbourhoods’ such as Woodquay, Docklands and Augustine Hill and identifying potential new spaces for outdoor performance space.

The working group would examine the opportunity to develop an additional signature visitor attraction linked to the themes of culture, creativity and science – one of these could be a Macnas visitor experience – and look to develop a Claddagh Ring experience.

They would also review the current outdoor dining quarters and identify new ones to “strengthen the appeal of Galway as a dining and food destination”.

A new Irish language festival is to be considered to refocus Galway’s status as a bilingual city. A market ready visitor experience to tell the story of the Galway Hooker and their restoration will be explored.