Waterford council CEO Sean McKeown has updated delegates to the visitor attraction 2025 conference on the county’s tourism offerings. He said Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, hosted 163,000 international visitors in 2024, supporting approximately 3,260 jobs in hospitality.
The Viking Triangle, including Waterford Treasures, received €25m in investments to enhance its mediaeval museum and other attractions. Waterford’s impressive portfolio of museums includes the Medieval Museum, Bishop’s Palace, The Irish Museum of Time, Irish Silver Museum, King of the Vikings, Children’s Viking Tour, Epic Walking Tour, Irish Wake Museum Rituals of Death and Reginald’s Tower.
Waterford’s tourism strategy focuses on increasing visitor stays, addressing a deficit of 800 bednights through enhanced accessibility and offerings.
Mr McKeown referenced the achievement of Visit Waterford including the milkestone of having reached 80m million people globally in 2024 and
- Delivered the award-winning “Dive Into Waterford” campaign (Irish Media Awards 2025 Bronze)
- Achieved a significant increase in membership (members have more than doubled in 2 years)
- Launched a brand-new www.VisitWaterford.com website, with improved itineraries, maps, and digital concierge tools
- Secured major national and international media coverage across print, radio, TV, and digital, including the a top fifty listing from the New York Times
The North Quays regeneration project, valued at €250m, includes a new transport bridge and plans for hotels and residential developments. Quoting the old Flann O’Brien description of the city as “flying on one wing” Mr McKeown cited the possibilities created by the development, accommodation offerings in the form of two hotels with 140 and 180 rooms respectively, a 350 apartment complex to be developed and another, as yet undecided, new Tourism Attraction of Scale.
Other Developments outlined by Mr McKeown included the extension of the South East Greenway with a spectacular 24 km off-road cycling and walking trail, along the banks of the Barrow, most pof which is outside the county but which will connect the Norman Town of New Ross to the Viking city of Waterford. The Waterford Greenway, a 26-kilometre trail opened in 2017, has transformed local villages, boosting bike hire, restaurants, and cafes.
Sean McKeown shared: “Tourism is a key sector in our corporate strategies in our city and county development plan. The Greenway was a game changer, opened back in 2017, 26 kilometres from here in Dungarvan. We’re going to continue to invest in the tourism products.”
