2010 Killarney Business Survey

The DIT-ACHIEV Model for the Sustainable Management of Tourism has been developed by the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism, Technological University Dublin and is endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency and Fáilte Ireland. It explores six areas of investigation - Administration, Community, Heritage, Infrastructure, Enterprise and Visitor. The purpose of piloting this DIT- ACHIEV model in Killarney is to test its use with the objective to refine and adjust its methodology, so that it can be applied in any Irish tourism destination. Early indications are that The Model will provide the Irish tourism Industry with a valuable tool for making its product and management far more sustainable. In addition to data such as environmental measurements, information on water, waste, energy, transport, examination of local cultural, environmental and employment statistics, the model requires the undertaking of three dedicated surveys: A Resident Survey A Business Survey A Visitor Survey With the support of local volunteers and students, a year-long Visitor Survey has taken place throughout Killarney. A survey of residents was undertaken at the outset of the year and this Business Survey was run during the latter part of the summer months. 250 businesses in Killarney Town and Valley were invited to participate and this publication presents the views of the 157 who completed the survey on-line and face-to-face. In almost all instances the respondents were owners / managers, and most respondents answered all of the questions. Thus, this report provides a good overall representation of the Killarney business community