Concern That Clare’s Tourism Prospects Are Being Damaged

Photo © Clare FM

Concern is being expressed that visitors coming to Ireland will continue to fly past Shannon and on to Dublin, seriously damaging tourism prospects in Clare.

Figures released by the CSO have revealed that the number of overseas tourists coming to Ireland has risen by around 200,000 in the space of a year.

But it’s feared a lack of awareness about Shannon Airport is going against Ireland’s West Coast.

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In the second quarter of this year, just shy of 3 million people visited Irish shores from overseas.

That’s up 200,000 on the same period last year and healthy boosts in numbers have been seen from continental Europe, the US and even the UK, which had been experiencing a decline.

But fear is being expressed that Dublin is still getting the vast majority of this, and Fáilte Ireland is being called on to do more to foster tourism on the likes of Loop Head peninsula.

Bernie Keating runs Keating’s Bar and Restaurant in Kilbaha and says it’s plain to see from the visitors coming into his business that we’re losing out:

That sentiment is being echoed elsewhere on the peninsula too.

The general consensus among tourism operators in Clare is that there’s been a persistent challenge in attracting overnight visitors, with a vast number of day trippers visiting the likes of the Cliffs of Moher from the capital.

Chair of Loop Head Tourism Ian Glendinning runs Old School B&B in Cross and says a jump in visitor numbers is welcome but overnight stays are still badly needed.