15 Aug 2017
Bulmers eyes overseas tourists, with plans for €1.8m Clonmel visitor centre
BY Ben Coxon
Irish cider giant the C&C group has announced plans to build a €1.8m (£1.6m, US$2.1m) visitor centre dedicated to its Bulmers brand.
To be located in Clonmel, Ireland, the centre will feature a living experience where visitors will be able to follow an apple’s journey through the various stages of cider production. During the experience, they will also get to visit the coopers' room where barrels are built and repaired.
The development is part of a larger €5m (£4.5m, US$5.9) tourism scheme for Clonmel, which aims to attract upwards of 100,000 visitors annually to the area over the course of the next five years. Ireland’s national tourism body, Failte Ireland, is funding the wider initiative.
"This will be a huge game changer for the local economy,” said Paul Murray, HR chief for Tipperary County Council. “We have struggled with visitor numbers before, especially compared with cities like Limerick and Galway.
“We expect that, on completion, this project will attract significant numbers of people to the area and inspire innovation for other centres that will only boost tourism further."
In addition to the Bulmers development, other projects include the restoration of the county museum and the development of the river Suir and Suir Island.
In its plans, C&C will use The Rock of Cashel – the most-visited attraction in Tipperary county – as a feeder to draw people to its planned Bulmers attraction. It is hoped the brand’s global appeal will draw foreign tourism to the area.
The centre will be located at Bulmers’ Dowd's Lane facility. The majority of funding comes from the Failte Ireland grant scheme, with additional funds from the local council and the C&C group.
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