Tag Archives: Lonely Planet Guide

A cost benefit analysis should be conducted on a proposed twinning arrangement between Clare and a province in China, according to a local councillor. Councillor PJ Kelly has urged Clare County Council to complete a thorough review on the costs and benefits of sending a delegation to Yuman Province, to prevent members ending up like a “shower of fools”. While Councillor Kelly is not opposed to the council’s bid to explore establishing a new twinning arrangement, he stressed the importance of proper planning and research on what the Chinese like to do when they travel abroad, before a decision is made on the trip. While the Lissycasey councillor admitted that the public may not happy with the cost of the trip, he warned they would be even more dissatisfied if the delegation returned without achieving a defined set of objectives. The council has accepted an invitation from the People’s Republic of China to send a delegation to the country later …

County Clare and the Wild Atlantic Way have prominent mentions in the latest Lonely Planet Guide, which has named Ireland as one of the top five countries in the world to visit next year. “It is very important for Irish tourism to receive such an endorsement when one considers the growing competition from developing tourism destinations,”stated Donnagh Gregson, chair of the Clare Tourism Forum. “The inclusion of Ireland alongside Singapore, Namibia, Lithuania and Nicaragua in the Top 10 list is evidence of the outstanding performance of the domestic tourism sector in recent years in spite of the general downturn in the global economy. Ireland is obviously succeeding in marketing itself to newer markets, such as India and China and at the same time remaining an attractive destination for our traditional tourist markets,” she said. Continuing, Ms Gregson said, “It is particularly satisfying to see that Clare has been singled out by the guide for its hospitality, which is something that …