Ethical Tours: Longford tourism entrepreneur's ambitious plan

It's easy to become blind to the beauty of the commonplace. Longford is a case in point.

From the rolling hills of the north of the county, to the lakeside majesty of the south, the spectacular qualities of our home are easily overlooked by locals.

We are a county with an astonishing cultural heritage, from the Mesolithic artefacts retrieved from Derragh to the internationally significant Corlea Iron Age trackway, yet Longford as a tourism destination is only a recent phenomenon.

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Brendan Flanagan is a tourism entrepreneur who hopes to capitalise on this county's underdeveloped sector.

Having spent two decades working in the financial services, the last 15 years with Ulster Bank, Brendan decided to set up his own cycling and walking tour business, Ethical Tours, when the financial institution closed its doors.

This shift in direction was something on his mind for a long time: “I grew up quite close to where the Corlea Bog Amenity Walk and Centre. I remember when it was being uncovered,” he told the Leader.

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The trackway is an historic marvel, a 2,000 year old road exposed from the bogland back in 1985, near the village of Keenagh.

Visitors attracted to such a find have many other discoveries to make in Longford: “It has been hugely developed in the last couple of years. The whole area being reflooded, it's getting back to its natural habitats.

“A lot of people come to just walking around it, but there is so much more,” Brendan tells.

Ethical Tours wants to be the “go-to sustainable tourism” offering in the Midlands region. The business prioritises inclusivity and accessibility, sustainability, community and regenerative tourism, cultural preservation, conservation and environmental care, and resource efficiency.

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Brendan hopes that Corlea Bog, along with the Newcastle Woodland trail, and the Royal Canal Greenway and other developing tourism routes will draw in visitors to Longford.

Anyone who has perused planning files will know that there is a trend in local authority's permission applications: “The problem in Longford up to this point was accommodation. There was not enough accommodation for people to come and utilise these facilities.

“The Just Transition Funding has encouraged a lot of projects that are happening in the background. There's going to be a lot of accommodation coming on stream in the next 12 to 24 months.”

EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a fund created to encourage communities across Europe to meet the challenges of transitioning to a zero-carbon economy.

Ireland's National Climate Action Plan aims to achieve a climate-neutral economy by 2050. As part of that the EU JTF is focused on the wider Midlands region impacted by the move away from peat production and electricity generation from peat.

Support is one thing, but starting a business requires dedication and commitment: “It's a passion as much as anything else.

I've been cycling for years and I'm very familiar with all the local areas and the routes and that's what I enjoy. I love the outdoors.

“The support from Longford Enterprise, and Just Transition are a help from a capital perspective, for myself, there's not as much risk involved in trying to do something like this. But it is still a significant undertaking.”

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To make the change Brendan had to learn new skills to bring his idea to life. Recognising this need to upskill, he sought opportunities to help develop the abilities necessary to thrive in the tourism sector.

Developing the online aspect of the business was vital. From Digital Marketing and Digital Accessibility to understanding the overall tourism landscape the EU Just Transition Learning Network has positioned Brendan in a place where he can plan for the future.

The primary resource for the tourism entrepreneur is his home county, an asset he says has been traditionally undervalued.
“It's only when you see the reactions of outsiders, like Americans, that you realise what Longford has to offer. We have Corlea on our doorstep. I recently brought American cousins to Corlea, they were very hugely impressed. They got an hour and half historical tour for no charge.

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“Where they went to the Guinness in Dublin and they paid €30 a head, but they put more value on what they saw in Corlea,” Brendan said.

When undertaking a tourism venture in Ireland it's best to be apprised of the Alfred Wainwright quote: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing,” to prepare for the obvious pitfalls.

“I'm doing quite a bit of training with Enterprise Ireland, because I'm new to the whole business. That's the ethos they're drilling in. People expect rain when they come to Ireland. If you're marketing to the American market, the European or the Asian market, they understand.

“So as long as they have good, foul weather gear and wet weather gear to get out and about, I think most people are quite happy because they've pencilled in for.

“It's a pretty big commitment to come to Ireland for two weeks of holiday. They're going to get out and enjoy it regardless of the weather,” he explained.

Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the EU, the JTF has up to €169 million available over the duration of the fund. The investment is targeted to support the diversification of local economies and the creation of new opportunities that complement the assets of the Territory.

Brendan is hoping to avail of the support to build a business that has sustainability at its core: “I'm trying to create connections. Develop a relationship with companies that bring in international tours.

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“I'm going to an international conference in Kerry next year where it's all international buyers. And look, the type of offering that we have is probably a little bit unique as well in that we're going to have an operational carbon footprint of zero from day one.”

There is a harmony between Brendan's business and the JTF. The fund looks to restore degraded peatlands and regenerate industrial heritage assets, as well as invest in smart and sustainable local mobility so that local communities are able to benefit from the economic opportunities and amenities.

The JTF is an opportunity to bring the rich heritage of Longford to a wider audience.