KERRY IS one of the most popular spots in Ireland for overseas tourists to visit, and if you've ever been there you'll know why.
From the breathtaking scenery, buzzing towns, incredible beaches, culture and wildlife (shout out to Fungie the Dolphin), Kerry has a lot to offer-- but its dependency on tourism has seen the economy suffer a brutal blow thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
While air travel to and from Ireland is expected to be permitted from next month, the Kerry Tourism Industry Federation aren't taking any chances, and have launched a scheme which would see the people of Kerry save their own €400 million tourist industry.
Dingle, home to Fungie the Dolphin, is heavily reliant on the tourism industry56,000 households in Kerry will receive a €100 voucher to be spent on overnight stays within the county in an effort to encourage 'staycations' and get people fro the Kingdom to explore the beauty of their own county.
Hotels, hostels, guesthouses, B&Bs and camper sites have registered with the scheme, allowing people to spend their vouchers there and with an extra 10% discount on accommodation.
The scheme hopes to bring back the old practice where people from south Kerry holidayed in the north, such as Ballybunion, and locals of north Kerry travelled to the south, such as Killarney or Dingle, according to The Irish Examiner.
"Now is the time to share our love for our county with our children, family and friends: to revisit a childhood haunt, to rediscover a favourite memory or to explore a corner of the county that you have never seen," Kerry Tourism Industry Federation Chairperson, Pat O'Leary said of the scheme.
Ladies View, Killarney (Getty)If you're lucky enough to live tin the Kingdom of Kerry and are now planning where to spend your staycation, you can view the list of registered accommodation here.
The Kerry Staycation Vouchers are being distributed to households by An Post this week.
The announcement by the KTIF comes after Sinn Féin proposed a similar scheme to be rolled out nationwide, which would see every adult and child in Ireland be given a €200 and €100 voucher respectively to be spend in the hospitality sector in Ireland.
You can read more about that here.
