{"id":10153,"date":"2014-07-17T13:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-07-17T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greensideup.ie\/?p=10153"},"modified":"2016-10-31T12:25:06","modified_gmt":"2016-10-31T12:25:06","slug":"green-and-vibrant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/green-and-vibrant\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Green & Vibrant, New (Ad) Ventures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever had an idea, or a suggestion made to you and before you have time to blink, everything falls into place, setting you on an exciting new path? Serendipity, coincidence, or just that some things are simply meant to be\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Green<\/p>\n

Green<\/span> and<\/span> V<\/span>i<\/span>b<\/span>r<\/span>a<\/span>n<\/span>t<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Green

Green and Vibrant<\/p><\/div>\n

Recently, a series of serendipitous events have presented\u00a0themselves which I’m pleased to let you know has led to a partnership between\u00a0Susan Fitzgerald of Vibrant Ireland<\/a>\u00a0and myself which we’re collaboratively calling\u00a0Green\u00a0and\u00a0Vibrant.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

We have a few ideas we’ll be developing over the coming months but one of the services we’ll be offering is to connect eco, arts & culture destinations and tourism providers with top bloggers. We’d like to help to create a real-time buzz around some of the fab things that are going on and boost their visibility. Eco, arts and culture are areas of tourism that not only have significant growth potential, but are something Susan and I share\u00a0a passion for and would love to see grow and flourish.<\/p>\n

Why the sudden shift into Ecotourism for Greenside Up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tourism isn’t just about bringing coach loads of people in to spend lots of money in our towns and villages, when it\u2019s done well it’s about much more than that. It\u2019s about COMMUNITY and Greenside Up isn\u2019t just about gardening, it\u2019s about wanting to improve\u00a0communities<\/em> for the good of all. I\u2019ve been mulling the effects of Ecotourism for a while now, since the Waterford bloggers tour back in 2012<\/a>\u00a0again on our overnight stay in close by Graiguenamanagh<\/span><\/span>\u00a0then more recently when it was demonstrated on our recent trip to Sligo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Graiguenamanagh

Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny<\/p><\/div>\n

As I found on these occasions, Eco or Responsible Tourism helps and supports one another. Ecotourism is about being aware of the environment and culture of a place, about being respectful of our surroundings whilst minimising the impact, it’s about providing financial benefits to the local community and business in a responsible way, encouraging everyone in a community<\/em> to get involved and create employment. It\u2019s also about providing experiences to both tourism providers and the people who visit that are positive and enjoyable for everyone involved.<\/p>\n

Ecotourism is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” (TIES, 1990).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

When communities<\/em> get together and enthusiastically support and help one another instead of moaning and groaning, good and great things can happen.<\/p>\n

\n

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Helen Keller<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Duckett's

Duckett’s Grove Gardens, Crafts & Tea Rooms, Co Carlow<\/p><\/div>\n

Despite all the turmoil Ireland has had to face and the gloomy headlines that appear on the news stands on a regular basis, we know there\u2019s a huge amount of positivity here, people who want and are making differences in their communities<\/em>. People love visiting Ireland with its emerald-green fields, its mythology and its culture, talking to the people, listening to the songs, having the craic and even when we already live here, we never tire of visiting other parts of the island \u2013 IT\u2019S THAT GOOD! And those stories are replicated across Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n

\"Bloggers

Bloggers Trip arranged by SoSligo Festival<\/p><\/div>\n

Susan and I feel that if we, as bloggers who live in a community<\/em> of bloggers, can help to increase the visibility of these positive places and people by sharing their stories, letting you know about all the cool and wonderful things that you can do, that has to be a good thing.<\/p>\n

How will Green & Vibrant work?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll be working with tourist providers – from county councils to independents, illustrating to them the benefits of using blogging as a marketing tool. Bloggers are experts in their fields and we already have audiences who are interested in our chosen areas \u2013 something destinations may not have. We use social media extensively and not only are we able to share our news instantly, once posts are published they\u2019re accessible online\u00a0at any time, creating a long-lasting history of a place or event that\u2019s accessible in a few seconds. Our aim is to link relevent bloggers with destinations so that they can experience, write and share their experiences with you.<\/p>\n

\"#carlowgardenfest\"Where will we start?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the short time we\u2019ve been working together, we already have a few things in the pipeline, beginning with Carlow Tourism Office as we work as social media ambassadors for the 2014 Carlow Garden Festival.<\/a><\/p>\n

What does this mean for Greenside Up in the vegetable garden?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No changes are planned for the foreseeable future – I\u2019ll still be working with private clients and community gardens as before, encouraging communities to create gardens where they can share their experiences and produce. Green and Vibrant will be an extra\u00a0service I offer. It does mean you\u2019ll be seeing more posts on this blog about places I visit and am keen to share with you and you\u2019ll notice an extra tab on the top of the website that links to the activities of Green and Vibrant.<\/p>\n