Tag Archives: Michael Vaughan

WHILE Clare County Council is seeking, though not yet receiving, €15 million to take on the Clare-based Shannon Heritage attractions, hotelier Michael Vaughan has warned that even that vast sum may not be enough. “Even if there is an investment of €15 million and it secures the asset, secures the heritage value of these sites, what in terms of a plan will increase the number of people staying in the locality, in Bunratty, in Ennis, in other parts of Clare? “Some councillors have said there would be a multisite ticket people could get for three or four sites, but that would only help the likes of Paddywagon and the coach tours that are in and out in a flash,” said the Lahinch man. He warned that a figure of closer to €20 million would be required to bring the sites up to the required standard and to start promoting them abroad. “I think you could spend €15 million in Bunratty …

CAR hire prices at Shannon Airport are six times more expensive than tourists arriving at Madrid will face, and more than twice as pricey as in London. On Wednesday afternoon, going through the Shannon website, the cheapest car rental for the sample period June 10-17 was €1106.87. For an SUV for the same period the cost was €1,991.97. In contrast, someone travelling to Madrid and hiring a vehicle for the same period would face equivalent prices of €158.02 for a small car or €258 for an SUV. At Heathrow the prices quoted were €512 and €767.82. Obviously the huge disparity in prices puts Ireland at a serious competitive disadvantage, and Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan said that it is damaging the country’s reputation as a place to visit. “People are feeling really badly about it and we’re getting a very bad image.” He said he recently spoke to one person from North America who was struggling to arrange transport for a …

ATTITUDES to work have changed quite dramatically since before the pandemic, and it’s one of the reasons Clare tourism is going to see a huge labour shortage this summer, Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan says. Mr Vaughan said that conversations he has had with people in other sectors suggest the shortage is quite widespread across the economy, and he feels that younger people don’t attach as much importance to work as they would have done even a few years ago. “The only explanation I can give is that there has been a reset in the mindset of a certain cohort. Certainly younger people aged from 20 to 30 seem to have reset their opinion of what the balance of work and life is. “That allied to the surplus of money that a lot of that age group might have from the pandemic payments, this year they’re not inclined to take up seasonal work or work that’d be full time. “There seems …

THE Heathrow slots at Shannon could become vulnerable after the current obligation on IAG to retain them at the Clare airport expires in September 2022, but with airlines now requiring public support, there is an opportunity for the Government to secure the connectivity. That’s the view of Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan, a former President of the Irish Hotels Federation. “Those slots are in the hands of IAG now to do what they want. I think it’s a very serious concern and I’m glad it’s being raised. It was on a lot of people’s minds before the pandemic. “Now IAG are asking the UK government for an immediate bilateral to establish an air corridor between the US and the UK. You could be looking at a greater yield on them for transatlantic as opposed to Shannon. I’d fear for it, certainly. “I know there were attempts earlier on to ensure that what amounted to State aid to Aer Lingus would be …

A former Mayor of Kilkee has urged tourists and visitors to stay away from the West Clare holiday hotspot during the holiday period to minimise the spread of Covid-19. While Claire Haugh stressed holidaymakers are normally very welcome in Kilkee, she is concerned that any large influx of people into the town could result in the unwanted transmission of the virus. “It is a hugely difficult and dangerous time for everyone and the safety of people in Kilkee is paramount. We welcome visitors all year round but these are different and frightening times. “People in Kilkee are trying to mind ourselves and visitors should be cautious of their own health. “There will be good times ahead when the vaccine comes in and then there will be a thousand welcomes for people to come to Kilkee. “When things get better, the doors will be wide open to welcome them as usual. We love having visitors in Kilkee and it is great …

THE return of Level 5 restrictions, which will force gastropubs and restaurants to close from the afternoon of December 24, has been described as “a body blow” to the sector. Fears are growing for the future viability of the hospitality industry in Clare, with a warning that many businesses will face closure in the New Year, unless government supports are stepped up. Reaction in Clare to Tuesday’s announcement that restrictions are to be re-imposed from Christmas Eve, has ranged from resignation in the face of a third wave of Covid-19 to anger at the perceived delay in breaking the news. “This is very disappointing and word got out through a series of Chinese whispers,” said Clare Chair of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) Darragh McAllister. “The way that the details were leaked [last weekend] is shoddy, amateur and no way to run a country. There are huge problems now for the gastropubs in terms of all of the stock …

A BOOST to hotel trade in parts of Clare has come in the form of newly-weds honeymooning at home this year. With a raft of Covid-19 related rules curtailing the size of gatherings at weddings, many have opted to defer their nuptials, but those who are tying the knot in the time of coronavirus, are providing tourism operations with a very welcome staycation boost. “I have seen a lot of Irish honeymooners coming to Clare,” said Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan. “My stocks of champagne are much depleted and anecdotally I’m hearing that couples who are staying in the country for their honeymoons are getting to discover what the country has to offer. I think there is a silver lining here in that people are quite surprised by what their own country has to offer.” In terms of his own business, the former Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) president said that while visitor numbers had been strong in August, he estimate that …

HOTEL closures imposed by Covid-19 restrictions has cost a Lahinch hotelier a drop of €425,000 in turnover at the end of July compared with the corresponding period last year. Michael Vaughan who runs Vaughan Lodge predicts that regardless what happens for the remainder of the tourism season 2020 will be a loss-making year. Commenting on the publication of the new coalition’s much anticipated July Stimulus, the former Irish Hotels’ Federation (IHF) president also estimates he is unlikely to do one tenth of the turnover he generated last year. Mr Vaughan expressed disappointment over the government’s decision to leave the tourism 13.5% VAT rate for accommodation and food unchanged in line with their counterparts in Northern Ireland who are now benefiting from a 5% rate. He claimed the new Staycation tax rebate involved a very complicated system, which has excluded a large amount of people who may not have the income to benefit from this initiative. In view of the fact …