A trip to Summer Bay won’t be necessary.
A new National Surf Centre, that cost €3 million, has opened today (June 29th) in Strandhill, Sligo. The centre is the first of its kind in Ireland, and positions the west of the country as a world-class surfing destination.
Ireland's new €3m state-of-the-art National Surf Centre is now open in Strandhill! 🙌
It's the first of its kind in Ireland, positioning #Strandhill as a world-class surfing destination🏄♀️
+ it will lead to 40k visitors annually spending €3.4m in #Sligo pic.twitter.com/R7u6vyMMPe
— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) June 29, 2023
TDs Catherine Martin and Heather Humphreys opened the centre today, which was developed by Fáilte Ireland, Department of Rural and Community Development and Sligo County Council.
The hope is that the centre will bring in approximately 40,000 visitors a year by 2028.
The National Surf Centre is officially opening in Strandhill today #choosesligo #Sligo #surf pic.twitter.com/hKFt78ys6r
— choosesligo (@choosesligo) June 29, 2023
A new visitor attraction on the Wild Atlantic Way
The Surf Centre anticipates a large increase of tourists to the area; Catherine Martin said this of Sligo’s newest attraction:
“The investment of €1.3million by Fáilte Ireland in the National Surf Centre will open Strandhill and the surrounding areas to a significant number of new visitors, who want to experience the exceptional surfing culture that this area is known for. Fáilte Ireland anticipates the visitors attracted to the National Surf Centre, Strandhill will generate revenue exceeding €34million in the Sligo region by 2033, creating new economic opportunities for local communities and indirectly supporting 21 jobs annually. The National Surf Centre, Strandhill creates a fantastic reason for visitors from at home and abroad to come to Sligo, participate in outdoor activities and spend longer in the region.”
According to Fáilte Ireland, the centre will have an inclusive programme for people of all experience levels.
Header image via Twitter / Catherine Martin
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