by Jade French

In 2019, Center Parcs opened their first site in Ireland at Longford Forest, a 400-acre adventure playground in Newcastle Wood in Ballymahon, Co Longford. The Longford Forest site already has over 100 different indoor and outdoor activities to choose from. So, whether you're biking the wooded trails or swimming in the heated tropical indoor pool, quality time and discovering new activities are all part of a Center Parcs experience.

Now, they are planning to invest a further €85 million to expand their offerings, open a slew of new accommodation and bring jobs to the area. With the expansion will come more space for guests to stay, with 200 additional lodges to be built, including four luxury treehouses. Once completed, the site will have a capacity of up to 3,500 and create 250 permanent jobs in the region.

Development has been driven by the company’s confidence in Ireland’s domestic tourism market. The Irish tourism sector has worked hard to steady itself over the COVID-19 pandemic. As Center Parcs UK & Ireland’s chief executive Martin Dalby says the company have “great confidence in both our business and the Irish domestic tourism market, backed up by our extremely positive forward bookings for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022”. 

These sentiments are proven by the rise of staycations this year, which saw seven out of 10 people choosing to travel within Ireland. With Tourism Ireland’s new Green Button campaign seeking to open up travel opportunities, there has been growing interest in getting UK travellers back to explore the natural beauty across Ireland.

Still, it might be a while before you can swing from the canopies. The planning application will be submitted this year with a 6- to 12-month period of consideration following the initial bid. Only then, if successful, will construction start in 2023. Even so, seeing holiday giants like Center Parcs investing in Ireland offers a continued sense that the tourism sector is becoming stronger than ever. We know a love of fresh air, forest sights, and family fun will always continue to expand.