CENTER PARCS Longford Forest has seriously ramped up preparations for the opening of its new Irish resort with the recent launch of a monster recruitment drive offering up to 1,000 employment positions.
Construction of the resort is on schedule and anticipation is growing ahead of the opening of the latest and only planned Irish resort in the Center Parcs portfolio next summer.
Plans for the Longford Forest resort, located in Ballymahon, Co. Longford, include 460 self-catering lodges and 30 apartments as well as over 100 indoor and outdoor family activities, all located around a massive Aquadome.
The resort is set within a beautiful mature forest where adverse weather conditions have little impact on the visitor experience.
Its position in Co. Longford will bring a much needed tourism boost to Ireland's Midlands region and is expected to have a transformative effect on the area's economy.
Local authorities have been working in partnership with Center Parcs since they first identified Co. Longford as the perfect location for an Irish resort, with its central location in the heart of Ireland opening up access to every corner of the island, including Northern Ireland.
According to Paddy Mahon, Chief Executive of Longford County Council, the advantages of the country as a hub for Center Parcs to base its Irish operation are obvious.
"Co. Longford has a much lower cost base than the east coast, development land and enterprise units are readily available and Longford Local Authority has the flexible and responsive approach that business people look for in making location or investment decisions," he said.
Mr Mahon added that the experience of working with Center Parcs has been extremely positive for the region, with the full range of local authority services being made available to the Center Parcs team to ensure that the project moves smoothly through the different development stages.
"County Longford will now become a tourism destination in its own right and this will be helped by the inclusion of the county in the new Failte Ireland tourism brand, Hidden Heartlands, that will promote the hidden beauty of the Midlands as an activity based and slow tourism destination.
"Longford is viewed as a real pro-business county and there is a renewed sense of confidence based around recent achievement in attracting the likes of Center Parcs."
Those interested in applying for positions with Center Parcs Longford Forest are advised to register for job alerts in their chosen field on the www.centerparcscareers.ie website