This article is from page 12 of the 2006-08-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
CLARE will have to fight back if it is to protect and increase its tourism industry.
That is according to the President of The Ennis Chamber of Commerce and hotelier John Madden who was responding to figures released this week, which show a marked decrease in the number of nights Irish people were spending their holidays in the mid west.
According to the Central Statistics Office, Irish visitors to the mid west spent 182,000 nights less in the region last year than in the whole of 2001.
While there was a two per cent increase in the number of domestic visitors to the region during the five-year period, it was a very small increase when compared to Dublin, which recorded a 25 per cent increase.
The average length of stay by domestic visitors to the mid west also decreased, with the average stay in 2001 calculated at 3.6 nights, at 3.8 nights in 2003 and falling to 3.3 nights in 2005.
During the first three months of this year, 423,000 Irish people visited the mid west, the majority of which, 198,000, were visiting relatives.
A further 50,000 people said they were in the region for business and 136,00 for a holiday break.
Irish people also spent significantly more money in Dublin than the mid west.
The total expenditure of the domestic traveller in Dublin increased by almost 55 per cent from €108.5 million in 2001 to 168.1 million in 2005.
The expenditure in the Mid West increased by a mere 14 per cent from €87.3 million in 2001 to €99.7 million in 2005.
The number of people travelling to international destinations for holidays from the mid west increased significantly over the five-year period, an increase of almost 50 per cent. Commenting on tourism in the county so far this year, Mr Madden said it was “not that bad” but there was “no huge growth”.
The hotelier explained that the American market was not as buoyant as other years and there was a marked decrease in the number of French and Italian visiting.
He equated the change in the Irish market with the opening up of new destinations particularly in Eastern Europe.
“I think we need to be more resourceful. We need to market more and get back more.”
He pointed to the success of the Scottish industry in encouraging back the golfing tourists it lost to Ireland and said the Irish market could not afford to stand still.