Hotelier claims ocean race sucks tourists out of Clare

The Volvo Ocean Race, which helped generate €55 million for the regional economy when it visited Galway last year, “sucked business out of county Clare” according to the Clare representative of the Irish Hotel Federation.
On the same day, the national IHF president welcomed the selection of Galway city for the finish of the 2012 Volvo Round the World Ocean Race as “a major tourism triumph for Ireland”, Michael Vaughan, chair of the federation’s Shannon Branch told The Clare Champion he believed last year’s event “had a very negative affect on the county”.
“I have a particular view on the Volvo Ocean Race that wouldn’t be popular in national tourism. The Volvo Ocean Race, when it came to Galway last year, sucked so much business out of county Clare over that weekend, I believe it had a very negative effect on the county and all along the west coast,” Mr Vaughan said.
The Lahinch hotelier conceded that the event had a positive impact nationally by putting the country “on the international maritime map,” but added, “it sucked the business out of the seaside resorts on a bank holiday weekend last year and I don’t think the timing of it was to the benefit of anyone in Clare.”
Mr Vaughan said he believed it displaced tourism business from one part of the country to another and was particularly critical of the race’s timing.
“It is a fabulous event but if it had occurred on any other weekend rather than a bank holiday weekend, it wouldn’t have had the same devastating affect,” he said.
“In the micro-tourism climate of Galway, it was hugely successful but in macro tourism economy of Clare, Mayo and parts of Kerry, I think it had affects that were unintended.
“There seems to be a feeling in this country that we have to have really big festivals instead of lots of smaller ones but the big ones create a vacuum and tourism events can have unintended consequences,” Mr Vaughan concluded.
Clare Fine Gael TD Pat Breen had a different outlook on Wednesday’s announcement that the final leg of the 2012 Volvo Ocean Race is to be held in Galway.
Deputy Breen said he believed the race finale could provide a timely economic spin-off for tourism in Clare provided that every effort is made by the tourism promoting agencies in the county, including Shannon Development to capitalise on the opportunities which it presents. 
“Infrastructural developments in the region must also be fast tracked so that no obstacles are placed in the way of maximising the potential tourism benefits which the hosting of this event offers,” Deputy Breen stated.
“Sections of the N18 Motorway between Ennis/Gort and Gort/Oranmore must be completed within this two year timeframe and the extension to the Western Rail Corridor finalised. Shannon Airport must also be marketed as a destination for yachting enthusiasts who are travelling to Ireland for the Volvo event,” he added.
The 2009 Volvo Ocean Race stopover took place in May and attracted more than 600,000 people to the race village in Galway City with the crowds peaking at 62,000 on the in-port race day.