TAAS 2nd Study Visit in Donegal took place!
On 18th September Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and Donegal County Council hosted ten partners from across Europe for a TAAS (Tourism as a Service) Project study visit to Donegal. TAAS is a Interreg Europe funded project led by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas in Greece with partners from Finland, Sweden, France, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Moldovia and from Ireland ATU and associate partner Donegal County Council. TAAS aims to add Smarter Europe achievement, with a special interest on tourism transformation, join forces to accelerate tourism digitalisation and improve related policy instruments supporting smart and sustainable development. TAAS adopts a ‘tourism as a whole’ approach; and will develop digital tools for ensuring that needs and concerns of all tourism-related stakeholders and users are addressed while respecting sustainability principles, encouraging responsible tourists who make effective tourism related decisions.
The day began with a morning session at ATU Letterkenny, featuring a series of insightful presentations from experts in the fields of sustainable tourism and digitalisation including:
- Donegal County Council talks on the Sustainable tourism strategy, TEBEX and Donegal DNA
- ATU James Hanrahan on the INSTO Observatory at ATU
- Therese Maher Failte Ireland Digital that Delivers
- Steven Perry from Donegal Local Enterprise Office, Green for Business
- Stephen McPeak, Civic Dollar
- Margaret Quinn and Catriona Strain Ernact talks on Donegal Digital and the TIDE project.
In the afternoon, the group visited the iconic Fanad Lighthouse, renowned as one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world. There, the visitors experienced the unique VR exhibit The Storm, The Sea – The Saldanha that showcases the power of digital tourism. Through these engaging sessions, the partners gained valuable insights into leveraging digital technologies, sustainable practices, and innovative solutions to create exceptional tourism experiences from start to finish.