ECOTOURISM:THE RISE IN mass-participation sports is generating a new breed of entrepreneur who seeks to combine a love of the outdoors with a profitable tourism business. The latest entrant is Go Cycle Ireland, in Co Clare, which offers short breaks for leisure cyclists, mountain bikers and elite athletes.
Directors Peter Clifford and Tom Enright, who are keen cyclists, decided to go into ecotourism after they were made redundant recently. “We were talking one morning and realised we had little choice in rural Clare. But we knew we were surrounded by this real beauty on our doorstep. That was the catalyst for establishing the company,” says Enright.
In its first season Go Cycle is offering all-inclusive four- and seven-day leisure cycling tours of the Burren and the Aran Islands (€999 and €579), as well as two-day breaks. Leisure tours cover about 40km or 50km a day, and can incorporate another pastime, like photography.
Lonely Planet named Clare as one the world’s top 10 cycling destinations recently, and this summer the county will host the Sky Ride Etape Hibernia race and the Tour de Burren.
- gocycleireland.com
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