Best Practices for Activity Provider Growth

Erne Water Taxi Case Study

Inspired by his own international travel experiences in locations such as Canada and Australia, Barry Flanagan felt it was time to return home to provide opportunities for visitors to connect with the landscape, people and stories of Lough Erne. Which is also the premise of Tourism NI’s ‘Embrace the Giant Spirit’ brand which promises visitors experiences that are distinctively Northern Irish by incorporating our unique landscapes, culture and heritage.

With support and advice from Fermanagh Enterprise, the Erne Water Taxi launched in 2016 offering chauffeur driven, guided boats tours and personalised pick up and drop services throughout Lough Erne onboard a state of the art eight-seater powerboat.

The key elements believed to have resulted in the growth of this business are listed below.  

Relationship Building

These private tours to Devenish Island and around both Upper and Lower Lough Erne still form a key foundation of the business, however, a proactive approach to relationship building with the Fermanagh hospitality and tourism sector was key. Whilst online marketing could provide some market penetration it was clear that referrals especially from local hotels with shoreside access was going to be essential. 

“At first it was challenging, I was an unknown quantity, and it was a new concept, so businesses were understandably cautious. I must give credit to the Lough Erne Golf Resort who were one of the first to promote our services to their guests.” explained Barry.

The engagement with the five-star resort not only brought business but also an enhanced reputation within the sector which led to the establishment of further similar relationships with other hotels.

Innovative Partnerships

Always keen to provide new experiences Barry has been relentless in his pursuit of likeminded innovative entrepreneurs. “It has been really important for us to showcase local produce available in Fermanagh, logistically our boats are too small to offer catering so teaming up with local delis or shoreside locations such as The Boatyard Distillery offers that something a little bit different for our customers and importantly highlights another key asset of the destination.” enthused Barry.

“It is really important to find likeminded people who appreciate and understand that we are better off working together to share our expertise and unique offering – it’s all about making it easier for the customer.”

Island Discovery

In 2021, Barry took a further step and launched the ‘Island Discovery’, the new 12 seater all-electric boat, which is the first of its type on the island of Ireland.

"Island Discovery offers visitors a silent, all-electric eco-friendly experience and is the best way to appreciate the views and hear the distinct sounds of our waterway. It is fully accessible for people who use wheelchairs, as they can embark directly from the jetty to deck and into the spacious 4 pod compartment without the need to transfer from their wheelchair. I am very proud of the level of accessibility our silent boat provides, this is the first time that this type of level access from a jetty, without the use of a ramp, has been possible on Lough Erne.”

More than a boat, the Island Discovery is essentially an electric floating venue and therefore has provided Barry with further opportunities to build on relationships. “We have teamed up with a wide range of partners to showcase the best of Lough Erne through Whiskey and Blues cruises, island town tours with local historians, Gin and Jazz nights and there are lots of other ideas in the pipeline” 

The new boat has also been the catalyst for a partnership with Enniskillen Taste Experience. With support from the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Experience development programme, the two businesses have joined forces to provide ‘The Lakelander Food Experience’ a unique food tour of Enniskillen on land and water. The experience combines the history, beauty and significance of the Erne Waterway with a food and drink tasting menu with produce from the Fermanagh Lakelands.

All of the above showcases really strong delivery on three of the Giant Spirit experiences key criteria - ‘distinctively northern Irish’, ‘innovative’ and ‘welcoming to everyone’.

It is clear that whilst the boats are the foundation of the Erne Water Taxi business, it is the relationship building and partnerships that have brought the experience to life. For more information on the Erne Water Taxi please visit www.ernewatertaxi.com.