This article is from page 26 of the 2011-01-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 26 JPG
TOURISM OF an unprecedented level could be the reward for ongoing efforts to gain Geopark Status for the Burren and to make the Cliffs of Moher into one of the new 7 Wonders of the World.
Last month Clare County Council officially submitted an application to the European Geoparks Network (EGN) for the European and Global Geoparks status for the Burren region of north Clare.
The EGN was founded in 2000 to help protect geodiversity, to promote geological heritage among citizens and to support sustainable economic development of regions through the development of geotourism.
If successful, it is hoped that the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark project will provide the region with an identity as a region for sustainable ecotourism that is recognised across Europe.
European Geopark status is a fundamentally non-legislative designation, and as such it holds no influence on planning issues or land manage- ment practices. The proposed European Geopark in north Clare will comprise a network of managed publicly accessible sites, an established network of education and visitor centres, and the newly accredited Burren Ecotourism Network, as well as the existing Shannon Region Trails and National Walking routes.
Meanwhile, the ongoing campaign to make the Cliffs of Moher one of the New 7 Wonders of the World will come to an end in 2011. An estimated one billion people will have voted for their favourite location before the final round voting comes to an end on November 11, 2011.
The campaign to make the Cliffs of Moher one of the New 7 Wonders of the World has been ongoing for more than two years with the landmark tourist attraction already coming through three different stages of voting.
If the cliffs does make the final list it is estimated that the publicity associated with the event alone could being tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of extra tourists to north Clare in the coming years.