New tourism project aims to improve visitor experience

A major council project is seeking to improve the visitor experience in Athlone by improving signage, interpretation panels and the public space around Athlone Castle.

Tenders are being sought for a team to develop what's described as a “Wayfinding & Interpretation Strategy” and to design and manage the “delivery of a Public Realm Enhancement Scheme” in the environs of Athlone Castle.

Back in 2019, Westmeath County Council secured up to half a million euro funding from the Fáilte Ireland Destination Towns fund to develop a number of tourism projects in Athlone close to the town's main attraction.

These include an integrated Wayfinding & Interpretation Strategy strategy, to install and implement way-finding elements and to extend the successful delivery of the high-quality public realm, from Church Street to the area in front of the castle, according to the recently published tender documents.

Wayfinding is generally defined as the process or activity of ascertaining your position and planning or following a route.

Now the council wants to engage the services of a multi-disciplinary design team and technical advisory team to bring the development to fruition.

The successful consultants will appoint a Project Manager for the scheme, who will have overall responsibility for the management, delivery and implementation of the project.

Existing transport/traffic conditions and visitor movements will be examined in a bid to identify “key routes” that could benefit from way marking, the tender says.

“Athlone town centre is a destination for night-time activities and there are considerable numbers on the streets on Friday and Saturday Nights. The wayfinding infrastructure and interpretation panels must be effective during the day and after dark,” the tender documents also stress.

A review and assessment of existing signage, information boards and street furniture will also be undertaken in the scheme area to identify what's working well along with gaps or inconsistencies. Key arrival points or landmarks will also be identified as part of the scheme. The closing date for tenders is July 7 next.