CLARE sports tourism interests can learn how they can get a slice of the €450bn global sport tourism industry in a major think-tank with international experts set for Limerick next May.
The inaugural European Sport Tourism Summit, which will take place at Thomond Park Stadium on Thursday May 15, will also deliver recommendations that will be presented to Government regarding how Ireland can increase its share of the fastest growing sector in the global travel industry.
Organised by W2 Consulting, the Shannon Airport sponsored event, will be attended by over 400 delegates drawn from local authorities, sports bodies, federations, clubs, charity organisations and communities here and abroad.
Tourism facts:
35% of domestic tourism in Ireland is attributable to sport
Over 30 different sports are participated in Ireland each year
The Emerald Isle Classic American Football match at the Aviva Stadium in 2012 was worth an estimated €100m alone to the economy
In the UK, the average football fan visiting for matches spends £785 during his/her short trip
Around 1.3 million tourists went to a live sports event in the UK in 2011, spending a total of £1.1 billion.
Almost 40,000 jobs supported by sport in Ireland
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.