Conference of huge value to the area – Garvey

APPROXIMATELY 200 people attended the National Tourism Conference in Ennistymon at the weekend. Numbers were down on last year but according to Flan Garvey of the Clare Tourist Council, who organised the event in conjunction with Clare County Council, this is still a strong showing.
“We are 40 short of last year, which we are happy with because facing what we are facing into, we kind of thought inwardly that this could have been a disaster this year and it would have broken us if it was but thanks be to God it wasn’t.
“I would say the main reason for this is our record that we have given good value for money, that people come here to Ennistymon in the middle of winter and they get treated very, very well and very generously and maybe that is why we don’t make huge money on it because we spend it as we get it because it is important here in the off season when you get the opportunity, to make people feel at home, let them see what is happening around Ennistymon, North Clare, Ennis and different parts of the county in the hope that we have impressed them and that they will come back not just for the conference next year but in their own time with their families and friends and so on. That is happening, that is paying off,” he told The Clare Champion.
As well as lower numbers attending the conference this year, there were other, more high-profile figures, who couldn’t make it. Football Association of Ireland technical director, Packie Bonner was due to speak at the conference on Saturday but pulled out at the last minute after it was announced that his contract would not be renewed by the FAI.
“It was a huge disappointment,” said Mr Garvey.  “When word went out that Packie Bonner wasn’t coming, you could sense it around the place. First of all on Friday there was word from Packie’s secretary that he was late but that he would be coming and would it be ok if he spoke at the dinner instead of at the actual conference itself? And we said ‘great’, Packie Bonner would be welcome to speak any time he comes. The next thing, less than half an hour later, we found the news from his secretary, that Packie Bonner had left the FAI and so had she and therefore wouldn’t be here. There were a lot of people here who had no interest whatsoever in the conference but who wanted to meet Packie Bonner and that was very disappointing,” Mr Garvey continued.
Another absentee was Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who had been due to speak at the conference but who was replaced by his spokesman on tourism, Jimmy Deenihan. Minister Mary Hanafin, the current Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, was also unavailable at the weekend. She was invited to open the conference but local TD Timmy Dooley deputised for her at Friday’s ceremony.
The conference is funded by local sponsorship, the Clare Tourist Council and ticket sales and, according to Mr Garvey, is of value to the area.
“The value to the area is huge. It is very hard to call it in pounds, shillings and pence but what we do know is… I would know people who come back here for a weekend, for a week in the summer time, because they have seen what they have seen, they have been entertained as they have been entertained and they say this is a great place. The Cliffs of Moher is a huge attraction for them and they wouldn’t have seen it but for the conference,” he said.
“People say it [the conference] is a waste of money. Not at all, it is money well spent because no matter how bad things are, you must be out there because if you stay at home and do nothing, people will not come to you and we have been pretty successful in getting people here,” he concluded.