National Tourism Conference opens in Ennistymon

AER Arann chairman Pádraig Ó Céidigh, FAI technical director Packie Bonnar and Fine Gael Tourism spokesperson Jimmy Deenihan will join tourism interests from across Ireland at the National Tourism Conference which opens this Thursday.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had been due to be the guest speaker at the conference banquet on Saturday night but his place is now to be taken by Deputy Deenihan.
The Clare Tourist Council in conjunction with Clare County Council will host the 22nd annual conference at The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon.
The event will be attended by hundreds of tourism industry officials and members of local authorities, county enterprise boards, partnerships, and all public and private bodies involved in the promotion of tourism in Ireland.
This year’s conference, entitled Achieving World Class Tourism, will also see some of the country’s leading tourism operators pledge their support for the Cliffs of Moher’s bid to be named one of the ‘New7Wonders of Nature’. The iconic County Clare landmark was shortlisted in July 2009, along with 27 other sites from over 440 participants representing over 220 countries.
Speakers scheduled to address the conference include: Aer Arann chairman Mr Pádraig Ó Céidigh (The Importance of Access); Gerard Dollard, director of services Clare County Council and Ennis Town Manager (Raising the Bar – The role of local authorities); Geraldine McGahey, chief executive, Larne Borough Council (Learning from the advantages of networking: The Pathway to Success); Samantha Williams, Cantata Project co-ordinator, Denbighshire County Council (Developing an authentic tourism experience) and Bodil Alver Moen, Lillehammer Kommune, Norway (World Class Tourism: The importance of exchange programmes, from inside and outside the EU).
The Football Association of Ireland will also be represented at the conference as it prepares to hold its own annual conference in Clare next summer. Former goalkeeping international and current FAI technical director Packie Bonnar will address c delegates on the issue of Football in Clare: The Key to Success, while FAI delegate from Clare Jim Madden will speak about the importance of networking within clubs.
Commenting on the conference, Flan Garvey of the Clare Tourist Council said,“The interest shown in this year’s event indicates the very real commitment among all tourism agencies and operators to participate in a unified approach to addressing common issues facing the sector. Tourism has been hit badly by the downturn in the economy and it can only survive and prosper if operators in the sector exchange ideas and collaborate.
“All political parties, including Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party, will also be participating in the event in the best interests of developing tourism,” he added.
The two-day conference will include the presentation of the Clare Tourist Council Tidy Towns Awards, along with a site visit by delegates to the nearby Cliffs of Moher.