This article is from page 31 of the 2012-11-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
CLARE tourism will be damaged internationally, while both private and State-run tourism operators will be the big losers if Clare County Council gives the green light for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to develop car park facilities near Mullaghmore.
This claim is a major plank of the Burren Action Group (BAG) submis- sion to the planning authority, opposing the controversial NPWS application, that has been secured by The Clare People this week.
In a hard-hitting submission, BAG says that the car park proposal “makes no consideration of tourism practice in the area and does not appear to inform itself as to the policies of other statutory agencies or of the objectives of the County Development Plan”.
According to the BAG submission, permission for the car park facility would “endanger the reputation of the Burren” and “poses a risk to investments of other tourism operators” throughout North Clare.
“Substantial inter-agency efforts helped secure Geopark status for the Burren and efforts are ongoing to achieve a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing,” says the BAG submission.
“Smaller operators have undertaken international marketing activities through the Burren Ecotourism Network and have developed an accreditation scheme for green tourism that has been adopted as the Irish standard and has been approved by Fáilte Ireland.
“News of the existence of a statemanaged facility that is operating contrary to the precautionary and sustainability principles will harm the area’s reputation and the international perception that it is a prime ecotourism destination.
“The application runs counter to the objectives and principles of ecotourism, is contrary to the objectives of the County Development Plan and will endanger the tourism investments of both private and statutory tourism providers.
“It is not compatible with the area’s reputation for ecotourism and thus poses a threat to tourism operators in the wider Burren,” the submission to the Clare County Council planners adds.