The Marble Arch Caves have successfully delivered the Tourism Northern Ireland Experience Development Programme. This project was aimed at enhancing the visitor experience to Marble Arch Caves – one of Fermanagh’s leading tourist destinations.
Marble Arch Caves received a £200k investment, including support from Tourism NI’s experience development programme and additional financial support was provided by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.
lready a well-known tourist destination within County Fermanagh, the Marble Arch Caves attracts over 200,000 visitors annually. This investment facilitated the development of a new offering – new first of its kind, Virtual Reality (VR) Experience of the show cave. Equipped with just a VR headset and simple head movements, visitors can now be instantly transported into the show cave to view its rivers, chambers, and delicate cave formations all from the comfort of the newly designed VR room. The VR experience has increased the year-round offerings at Marble Arch Caves and provides access for visitors who would not normally be able to enter the showcave.
In addition, this investment enabled the installation of a new dynamic lighting system throughout the entirety of the show cave. The new LED lighting produces a very strong and cold light which is suitable for show caves and minimizes the negative impacts that light produces inside caves. This epitomises the Marble Arch Caves ethos of sustainable management and conservation of the show cave. This lighting project has truly enhanced the Guided Cave Tour by bringing to life the beauty of this natural underground world.
The Marble Arch Caves innovation to expand and enhance their offering puts it in the spotlight as a must-see tourist destination in Fermanagh.
Announcing the new and enhanced visitor experiences, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Barry McElduff, said: “This project is an excellent example of what can be achieved through effective partnership working. The Tourism NI Experience Development Programme funding and support, along with our own endorsement by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, has significantly enhanced the current visitor portfolio and year-round offering as a top visitor destination. Speaking personally, I have set aside a day in the very near future to enjoy this experience myself”.
Speaking about the investment at Marble Arch Caves, Ciaran Doherty, Head of Regions & Investment at Tourism Northern Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to support the Marble Arch Caves as they enhance their visitor experience and develop innovative ways to showcase the incredible beauty of this unique location. The new Virtual Reality equipment means the attraction, which already enjoys huge visitor numbers, can widen its appeal and bring the wonder of the show cave to a whole new audience.”
