No tourism promotion fears for hoteliers

HOTELIERS in Clare are confident that recent lobbying of State tourism agencies will result in improvements to visitor attractions and amenities throughout the county.

 

Irish Hotels Federation chairperson, Michael Vaughan believes the decision to allow Fáilte Ireland take over the tourism part of Shannon Development will benefit tourism over the coming years.

A strong case has been presented to the tourism body to increase the return from the group tour market in Ennis and Bunratty, which would result in a huge dividend for local accommodation providers.

Mr Vaughan, from Lahinch, has confirmed a coalition of tourism interests from the Mid-West met senior Fáilte Ireland representatives recently and highlighted the need for a major hike in tourism investment.

Welcoming the upgrade of King John’s Castle in Limerick, which will benefit the Mid-West, Mr Vaughan believes key visitor attractions like Bunratty Castle need to be revitalised and revamped to realise their full tourism potential.
While fears have been expressed about the loss of Shannon Development’s role in tourism promotion, Mr Vaughan said, “Shannon Development didn’t have the money it really required to spend on the development of tourism in the Mid-West because of its funding model.

“A major investment in tourism development is needed in the Mid-West, which has been the second-worst performing region over the last 10 years.

“The Hotels Federation has presented a strong case for investment in tourism to Fáilte Ireland and I am confident it will deliver. There are huge challenges but I believe hoteliers have come up with a plan that will grow business,” he said.
Fears in respect of the future of visitor attractions and tourism-related enterprises in the county have been allayed by State agencies.
Fáilte Ireland chairman, Redmond O’Donoghue insists tourism in the region will not suffer as a result of the loss of Shannon Development.

He confirmed Fáilte Ireland would ensure the Mid-West gets its fair share of the overall marketing budget.
“Tourism promotion in Clare will be as important as it has always been. I would like to allay any concerns people may have about the loss of Shannon Development. The new Mid-West structure for Fáilte Ireland, which will be based in Limerick, will represent the area very well.

“Eighty percent of all the people who come from overseas go into Dublin at some stage. We take our obligation to get tourists to the four corners of the country very seriously. It is not the easiest. It is more pull than push. You can’t stand on the M50 and say you guys go to Galway, Kerry and Clare.

“Clare has fantastic tourist attractions and is located on one of Fáilte Ireland’s tourism hotspots. It is about marketing the wonderful attractions,” he said.

Mr O’Donoghue believes independence offers a fantastic opportunity for Shannon Airport.
“There is a big job to be done by Shannon Airport Authority, who have a clean sheet. It is a wonderful opportunity. There will be huge hurdles. I am sure the energy and drive is in the Mid-West to make Shannon Airport a success again,” he said.

Tourism Ireland chief executive officer, Niall Gibbons predicted the introduction of new flights from Shannon to Chicago, Philadelphia and Scotland would play a key role in increasing the visitor numbers to the region.
In 2007, there were 35,000 seats coming from North America into Ireland but by the summer of 2011, that had fallen to 25,000. By the summer of 2013, he predicts this will go back up to more than 30,000 and hopes that by 2014, more new flights will be introduced from the three main airports.

“The visitor attractions in Clare are second to none. The golf, walking and water sports are all very strong. Having Shannon Airport is a great asset for the region to have. Getting increased numbers into Shannon Airport has to be a priority and we will be happy to market the airport on the back of that.

“What is the customer looking for internationally and how is that being catered for on the ground? Clare has a great tourism product and it has an international airport.

“According to the US Department of Commerce, the number of US citizens travelling to Europe is up 3% in the first quarter of this year and to Ireland it was up 17%. We are winning market share in a very competitive market.

“Tourism Ireland supported sales missions to Chicago, Philadelphia and New York promoting the region. With additional air access, it is vital that we all work together to maximise the inbound business on planes,” he said.