This article is from page 6 of the 2006-10-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
THE Irish Tour Operators Association (ITOA) has warned Clare County Council that “budget-conscious ITOA members will have no choice but to remove the Cliffs of Moher from future itineraries”.
Last month, the council and the ITOA commenced talks on reaching a compromise on the council’s plans to charge €60 for large coaches using the attraction’s car-park next year.
The council published a compromise deal involving discounts of up to 35 per cent for coach operators that deliver over 3,000 visitors to the Cliffs each quarter and a sliding scale of discounts based on the volume of visitors each operator can deliver.
Correspondence released through the Freedom of Information Act shows that the ITOA was seeking a charge of €39 for coaches with 40 passengers or more and a sliding scale downwards with smaller coaches.
In a letter to the council’s Project Leader for the €31.5 million centre, Ger Dollard, ITOA President, Brian Murray has expressed the ITOA’s “deep disappointment” at the outcome.
”We have not been presented with any evidence to justify the level of charges and in the absence of transparency we have to assume that, in the longer term, Clare County Council intends to recover costs and make a profit on the site.
“If this is the intention, the ITOA does not accept that publicly-funded tourist facilities should be sold on this basis. We are also concerned about inevitable increases in the prices into the future and we have been given no assurances regarding this matter.”
Mr Dollard told The Clare People , “Clare County Council has engaged in a lengthy process of consultation and discussion with tour operators . . .
“The proposed charge structure has been revised on two occasions to address issues raised by tour operators. The second and final alteration to this structure represents a very fair and balanced approach to addressing the concerns of operators while at the same time funding the resources necessary to provide a first-class experience for all visitors to Cliffs of Moher.
”It is not Clare County Council’s intention to generate profit from operations at the site. All monies will go towards operating the attraction and further improving tourism infrastructure at the location.
“The council is disappointed that the Irish Tour Operators Association (ITOA) does not accept the very significant concessions on charges made by Clare County Council . . . ,” he said.