The newly established group says that not enough is being done to attract and retain visitors to the area as they pass through Shannon Airport.
According to Councillor Sean McLoughlin, Mayor of Shannon, “Of the estimated 3 million transit passengers using the airport annually comparatively few are fully aware of what the Shannon area and County Clare have to offer the short stay visitor.”
He added, “Many who book with Ryanair and other carriers immediately head for the big centres such as Limerick, Killarney and Galway. The only way of reversing this trend is by pooling local resources and marketing efforts of tourism interests in the area.”
Mayor McLoughlin continued, “The Cooperative’
He said that Aer Lingus’s recent announcement that it is to curtail its services between Shannon Airport and the USA in the first three months of 2009 had made it even more fundamental that the British and Continental mini-break market be targeted.
Meanwhile, all local business are being invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the Shannon Tourism Cooperative where an outline plan for Autumn 2008 will be presented.
The meeting, which takes place at 8.30pm on Wednesday 18 June in the Oakwood Arms Hotel Shannon, will feature the launch of a dedicated group website.
“The website portal will point visitors to individual websites or, where they do not exist, offer space for all companies to promote themselves on-line. The aim will be to present an upmarket image across the board for all tourism related businesses in the county”, Mayor McLoughlin concluded.
For more on the Shannon Tourism Cooperative call 086-2473712 or email info@shannontourismcoop.org.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
- Mayor McLoughlin (086-2473712)
- For further information please call Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 086-8534900 or media@dunphypr.com
Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
www.dunphypr.com
00353-868534900 (mobile)
00353-656839692 (fax)
