Join the award-winning Sheep’s Head & Bantry Tourism Co-operative and support our campaign to promote responsible tourism along the route of West Cork’s Sheep’s Head Way
Why Join the Sheep’s Head & Bantry Co-op?
The promotion of our area as a complete entity makes it easy for tourists to appreciate the benefits of a visit and the delights of “living the Sheep’s Head Way”: it joins together the things we offer as separate businesses into a coherent offering and tells a story no one business can tell on its own (the Crafty Tour of the Sheep’s Head is an example of this strategy at work). We’re also able to work much more effectively with Fáilte Ireland on developing Wild Atlantic Way experiences and promoting them to potential visitors and tour operators.
Our focus is on helping to develop sustainable tourism businesses that benefit our community, safeguard our environment, and create truly memorable experiences for visitors. You can see our responsible tourism policy here.
We’ve achieved a lot so far, but there’s still lots to do … We’d be delighted to have your support.
Membership benefits include:
* Listing on our website (+ see conditions for this benefit below) for your business, packages and events (c.26,000 visits per year).
* Tips, news and advice shared via a regular “members only” newsletter.
* Increased exposure for your business via our marketing co-ordinator’s work with Fáilte Ireland, our fellow EDEN destinations, Cruise West Cork, and other regional, national and international initiatives.
* Organisation and coordination of press tours (We had German and Belgian press trips last year generating very valuable coverage and had a delegation of 20 EU observers visiting in September 2017).
* Practical marketing support for initiatives that stand to benefit multiple co-op businesses (This year we are representing you at the Irish Tour Operators Association event and Meitheal – Ireland’s largest inbound tour operator event).
* Destination promotion via our website and social media campaigns on Facebook, Twitter & elsewhere.
* Brochures
* Destination promotion through regular public newsletters & the maintenance of an up-to-date events calendar.
* *Members can now add up to 6 photos to their listing*
* Membership Window Sticker.
New Memberships will expire on 31st January 2019.
In the last year, funds covered a contract for 10 hours of marketing & website support each week from Siobhán Burke of Wordhoard Communications; brochure printing and development, and participation in trade and tourism events. The marketing support we engaged enabled us to provide the services above and to secure press coverage in Ireland and abroad, as well as a number of prestigious awards.
We’re hugely grateful to our committee members and member businesses for the considerable amount of voluntary support we’ve received since the co-op began work in September 2013. We are also grateful for the outstanding support we have received from the West Cork Development Partnership and Cork County Council. We will be using our subscription base to bolster funding applications we plan to make for ongoing support to keep our campaign going into the future.
You are welcome to join the co-op as a business member, or as an associate member – a kind of local tourism ambassador! We’d be delighted to have your support.
+Please note that due to restrictions on our funding terms, accommodation that is not approved by Fáilte Ireland cannot be listed directly on our website at https://livingthesheepsheadway.com, and is listed instead at http://westcorkholidayaccommodation.com
Join Offline
If you’d rather join ‘offline’, you should fill out our membership form and send it with a cheque for €100 to the Sheep’s Head & Bantry Tourism Cooperative (made out to that organisation), c/o Crocon Engineers, 4 Main Street, Town Lots, Bantry, Co. Cork.
Online banking payments can be made to:
BIC AIBKIE2D
IBAN: IE18AIBK93601414365026
Please indicate your name and business name clearly in your bank transfer transaction.
We will issue invoices by email within one week.
If you have any questions at all, please contact Siobhán on 086 303 0991.
AGM
We will hold an annual AGM at the Philips Green Centre, Durrus, Co. Cork to which all are welcome! Subscriptions can be renewed or begun at this event or at any other time.
Thanks so much for your support.
