This article is from page 12 of the 2005-09-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE NUMBERS working at the Cliffs of Moher are set to double when the new €31 million visitor centre opens in 2007.
The newly appointed manager of the visitor centre, Katherine Webster said this week that 87 will be em- ployed there, made up of 39 permanent and 45 sea- sonal staff. Currently, 40 people work at the Cliffs.
“It is very important that the Cliffs are at the centre of the visitor experience. They are what people are coming to see and the facilities will be there to com- pliment that. There is an incredible, splendid vista at the cliffs and we need facilities that live up to that.”
Last year, the Cliffs attracted 780,000 visitors, making it one of the most popular visitor attractions NOMA eeMerOlUNNIB AE
Ms Webster said that this year the numbers would be closer to 700,000, due in part to a drop in the number of US visitors in Clare last Summer.
But, in the visitor centre’s first full year of opera- tion, the numbers would break the 800,000 mark, she Sr nLee
It is expected that 40 per cent of these will come during the months of July and August.
“We will try to build off-peak business and, on the busy days, we will try to distribute flow of visitors as evenly as possible.”
The new visitor centre — complete with interpreta- tive facilities, including a hi-tech audio-visual display — will lengthen the visitor stay at the cliffs.
Currently, the average stay at the Cliffs is one hour and 20 minutes, but people may soon be spending over two hours in the interpretation area alone.
‘The audio-visual room 1s very impressive and very interesting and will be focusing a lot on the wildlife that people don’t get to see too much to see on the cliff edge,” she said.
Ms Webster said the visitor centre will provide an all-weather experience, when outside visibility is poor.
She said that work on the centre was ahead of schedule. It includes installing viewing platforms and extending the path to Hags Head at the end of Cliffs.
Ms Webster said that the introduction of a Park ‘n’ Ride scheme for the Cliffs centre would take place in Phase Two of the development.
She said, “The tourism spend has been going down in Clare … so we want the tourism community in Clare to capitalise on the Cliffs centre.”