Tag Archives: Cliffs of Moher

Visitor numbers to the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience were up 15.8% during 2015, it has been confirmed. 1,251,574 people visited the Clare County Council owned centre last year compared to 1,080,501 during 2014, meaning that the Cliffs of Moher broke the one million visitor figure for the just the second time ever last year. It is the fifth successive increase in visitor numbers to the Cliffs of Moher with year-on-year increases of 12.5%, 10%, 8%, 10% and 12.3% being achieved during 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. Fully Independent Travellers (FITs), mainly travelling by car, made up 49% of the total, representing a 14.6% increase compared to 2014   Groups travelling by coach made up 45.6% of the total and increased by 16.1% on the previous year.  Others including walkers, cyclists and those travelling by public transport made up 5.4% and increased by 16.5% compared to 2014. “This is the highest number of visitors since records were first kept exceeding the …

The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher is the subject of a new book by one of Ireland’s leading photographers. This Is The Burren, Carsten Krieger’s photographic ode to the world-famous region, will be launched by Rose Hynes, a native of North Clare and chair of Shannon Group plc, in Hyland’s Burren Hotel, Lisdoonvarna on  Sunday. The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher was last week designated UNESCO Global Geopark status. The 176 photographs featured in This Is The Burren capture the essence of the Burren, including its weathered karst landscape, the ever-changing light; the exotic flora; the elusive wildlife; the tombs, cairns, forts and churches, and the people who call the Burren their home. Carsten Krieger, who was born in Germany, visited the Burren after learning it was the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth. More visits followed before he and his wife finally decided to move to County Clare to be close to the unique landscape. Cathaoirleach of …

The Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark has been shortlisted in an international awards scheme hosted by The National Geographic. The Geopark, which was yesterday (Tuesday) designated as a UNESCO site, has been shortlisted in the Destination Leadership category of The National Geographic World Legacy Awards alongside Destination Røros (Norway) and Travel Oregon (United States). The annual scheme honours tourism companies, organisations and destinations regarded as leaders in sustainable tourism best practices. Welcoming the Burren’s inclusion in the National Geographic World Legacy Awards shortlist, Carol Gleeson, manager of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark said, “The award we are in consideration for is Destination Leadership, a category for destinations demonstrating environmental best practices, protection for cultural and natural heritage, benefits to local people and educating travellers on the principles of sustainable tourism.” Ms Gleeson continued, “The award nomination is testament to the partnership approach to managing sustainable tourism in the Burren that has been developed by regional development agencies …

ONE-third of all visitors to the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience in the past year stayed at least one night in the county, according to new figures. More than 1,660 people completed online surveys for the attraction in the 12 months from August 2014 to August 2015 and these figures show that 33.2% of visitors indicated they had spent either the night before their Cliffs visit, the night after or both nights, in County Clare. “This indicates a minimum of 536,174 overnights in the county, not taking into account those staying longer than two nights. In 2014, incentive pricing for group tours arriving before 11am or after 4pm was introduced, which further encourages an overnight stay locally,” Ger Dollard, director of services, Clare County Council, stated. The local authority, which owns the centre, reledased the new figures. Mr Dollard stated that while the average spend in the county per visitor to the Cliffs is not known, “by any measure the …

The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience recorded its one-millionth visitor of 2015 on Monday (September14). 2014 was the first year  in which the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience saw more than one million visitors and last year the millionth visitor arrived on October 20.  The one-millionth visitor was recorded 36 days earlier this year. This year marks the fifth successive year of increased visitor numbers to the Clare County Council owned visitor attraction with figures for the year so far up 14.7% or almost 130,000 visitors on the same period (January 1 to September 14) in 2014. FITs (Fully Independent Travellers), including walkers, cyclists and those travelling by car or public transport, made up 55% of the total. Groups, mainly travelling by coach, accounted for 45% of the total. Visitors from the USA are the strongest visitor market, accounting for more than quarter of total visits with strong performances also noted in the French, German and Australian visitor markets. Domestic …

The Burren and Cliffs of Moher has successfully retained its Geopark designation for a further period following a reassessment and revalidation by the UNESCO supported Global Geopark Network. The designation is subject to review every four years and an assessment was  conducted by Dr. Klaus George from Germany and Dr. Margaret Wood from Wales in June. The announcement was made at the 13th European Geoparks Conference 2015 in Rokua Geopark, Finland. 18 Geoparks were up for revalidation with 16 receiving green cards, including the Burren and Cliffs of Moher. Global Geopark status was first awarded to the Burren together with the Cliffs of Moher in 2011 for their outstanding geological and cultural heritage and has resulted in the region joining a global network of over 100 Geoparks worldwide. The Geopark is managed by Clare County Council and receives support and funding from the Geological Survey of Ireland and Failte Ireland. “Clare County Council has been working in the Burren since …

Famous travel and adventure show, The Road Less Travelled, stopped off in Clare this week as they toured Ireland. Presented by explorer and adventurer, Jonathan Legg and broadcast to an audience of up to six million, the show travelled the country, as the presenter and crew filmed an episode for their upcoming fourth season. The team followed a route, drawn up by Fáilte Ireland, to showcase Irish food and drink, along with some new and unusual experiences on offer across the country. In Clare, the crew took in Doolin, Ennistymon and visited the Cliffs of Moher. Describing their experience in Ireland, Jonathan said,”The food in Ireland was a highlight. Once you put a forkful in your mouth it immediately impresses.After speaking with some of the country’s top chefs I understand why. Irish chefs are taking real pride in locally sourcing their food and the quality of the ingredients comes directly from the quality of the land on which it was …

The Cliffs of Moher will feature in a 45-minute documentary, Glamorous Ireland, that will air today to a huge Chinese audience. A crew from China Central Television (CCTV-4) visited Ireland in May, to film the documentary. Filming took place at various locations around Ireland, including the spectacular Cliffs. The resulting programme – highlighting our beautiful landscape, arts and crafts, as well as Irish society and family life – will be seen by an estimated 80 million Chinese around the world. CCTV-4 is the only Chinese channel with a global reach. A key element of Tourism Ireland’s promotional activity in China, to grow our share of this rapidly-growing tourism market, involves working with the media to generate positive publicity and raise awareness of the island of Ireland. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said, “With an audience of about 80 million viewers, the Glamorous Ireland documentary is the kind of publicity that money simply could not buy and is an excellent …