The town is a service centre for a
large catchment area, including the Beara Peninsula. It is no longer a major
fishing port, mussel-farming having replaced the traditional trawling. Tourism
is now a major part of the economy, exploiting the coastal scenery of the
region, and the town contains numerous hotels and guesthouses. Bantry made
headline news in 2007 when a major cocaine-smuggling conspiracy was foiled on
the nearby coast.
