The new visitor-friendly ‘Visit Leitrim’ mobile app features live updates on where to eat, drink, stay and explore
Tourists visiting Leitrim can now receive live updates on restaurant cancellations, accommodation availability, events, live music sessions and local attractions through a unique countywide visitor app being launched by Leitrim County Council this week.
Live updates from local businesses
The Visit Leitrim app will also allow visitors to unlock the county’s many diverse food, music, nature and cultural experiences in real time – giving them all the information they need in a single online space.
Live information on more than 230 restaurants, hotels, activity providers, museums and festivals will be available on the free app, with businesses able to directly upload new updates and notifications themselves.
It also offers an interactive map and details of the accessibility and suitability of Leitrim’s incredible nature sites, waterways, and walking trails, dispensing with the need to consult multiple brochures or websites.
Push notifications for cancellations, events and availability
The project is part of a major drive by Leitrim County Council to invest in and enhance its digital infrastructure and services to make them more widely and easily accessable to visitors and locals.
One of the Visit Leitrim app’s most distinctive features is that it allows registered vendors to send push notifications to users. These could include details of late cancellations for in-demand dining experiences, impromptu music sessions, accommodation and other tourist activities, which will encourage visitors to explore other parts of the county and support spending in the Leitrim economy.
Local services and emergency information
Another unique aspect of the app is the inclusion of contact details and opening hours for services across the county such as GPs, dentists, veterinary clinics, mental health services as well as Gardai and emergency services, including search and rescue.
The idea for the app was conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic when public health concerns led to the removal of brochures and other promotional items from reception areas and tourist offices, and changing operating rules required businesses to have real time communication with visitors.
The project is supported by the LEADER Programme 2023–2027 and funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the European Union.
Leitrim County Council, which received €50,000 for the project, gathered information from over 230 participating businesses. Digital solutions firm Great Visitor Experience created the system which allows businesses to update their own profiles and send push notifications to visitors, which stop after users finish using the app.
The council aims to promote the app through QR codes in accommodation, attractions and local businesses where it will be embedded in items such as event posters, beer mats, tent cards as well as online advertising. Visitors will be encouraged to download the app before arrival and during their stay.
Leitrim County Council Tourism Officer Sinead McDermott, said:
“The Visit Leitrim app really is Leitrim in your pocket. The app is about giving visitors the best possible experience while they are here, by connecting them with live, up-to-date information on where to eat, drink, stay and explore across the county. More than 230 businesses and cultural sites have already signed up, which shows the willingness of local businesses to work together to promote the county.“
What makes this app different is that businesses can update their own profiles and send timely notifications about late cancellations, live music, available rooms, activities or events. That means visitors can make the most of their time in Leitrim, while businesses have a direct way to reach people who are already here and looking for things to do.”
Great Visitor Experience CEO Ivan Touhy said:
“The Visit Leitrim app provides people with everything in one place from live updates direct from restaurants, hotels, and activity providers, to information about vital services such as GP opening hours and out-of-hours medical care.
Detailed information from a wide array of service providers makes the Visit Leitrim app a must have for anyone who is planning a trip and wondering what this wonderful county has to offer.”
Visitors can download the FREE Visit Leitrim app from the Apple app store HERE or Google Play HERE
