Campervan facilities will benefit rural Mayo communities

HUGE opportunities exist for rural communities and private operators who develop aires facilities for campervans in Mayo.

That was the message coming from a council tourism committee meeting where a delegation recently visited two such facilties in Portumna, Co. Galway, and Graiguenamanagh in Kilkenny.

The Galway facility has capacity for 40 campervans and the Kilkenny site for 70, it enjoying 100% occupancy during the summer and running at 30% when visited in November.

The Kilkenny operation was community led, Councillor Peter Flynn said, and he highlighted its economic impact on that community - a €150 spend locally per night per van.

Mayo, he said, has a number of private operators but the service is limited to four months of the year.

The county has nothing to offer the campervan community for the other eight months and there is huge potential to develop aires, either privately or through community projects.

“If a facility is there, they will come,” he said, adding that they don't have to be in traditional tourist locations.

Councillor Christy Hyland felt there has been no investment over the years to try and bring tourists to rural areas.

What facilities had been provided at Bertra over the last 40 years, he asked, and he also raised parking at Old Head on a fine day - 'mayhem'.

It was suggested there should be a few pilot projects, and the importance of communities leading on it was also stressed.