Tourism at risk in west of Ireland
Monday, 20 June 2005 22:10
Tourism in the west of Ireland is at risk because of a huge fall in the number of overseas visitors.
The growth in low cost airlines means people can afford more but shorter holidays. Overall Ireland has more foreign visitors than ever but the number of bed nights are in decline.
Shorter holidays have also made city breaks more popular and tourists are now less likely to travel to remoter regions.
So while Dublin has had an increase of over 40% in overseas bed nights, in the four years up to 2003 Shannon suffered a decrease of 39%, while the west and northwest were both down over 20%.
The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation wants a more focused marketing campaign to attract car ferry and coach tour passengers. It also wants improvements to the transport system, more access for walkers and restriction on drift net fishing.
