The Loop Head Peninsula in County Clare has been chosen as one of 25 tourist destinations from across Europe to be awarded the title of ‘2010 European Destination of Excellence in Aquatic Tourism’. Scenic waterside locations in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Slovenia and Turkey also received the European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) award due to the innovative approaches and sustainable manner in which they managed and promoted their tourism offer.
EDEN is designed to enhance the visibility of emerging and less known destinations in the EU. Moreover the initiative spreads the message of sustainable practices in tourism, promotes under-visited locations and thereby helps to decongest over visited destinations. Loop Head Peninsula is the only Irish destination to be recognised in the 2010 awards.