A TOURISM delegation from Clare that will travel to the US today to promote the county as a “must visit” destination for American tourists has defended its decision to go ahead with the trip.
The delegation, which on previous occasions comprised up to a dozen people from Shannon Development, Clare County Council, the Clare Tourism Forum and other groups, has been reduced to just three members this year because of budgetary constraints.
A notable absentee from this year’s smaller delegation is the mayor of Clare, who has dismissed suggestions that he was “overlooked” for the trip to the world’s largest celebrations of Irish culture.
The group will attend the Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan, where it will showcase the tourism product on offer in Clare to as many as 150,000 festival-goers. The festival, which runs from August 19th-22nd, was established in 1981 by members of Milwaukee’s Irish community and takes place in the 74-acre festival grounds.
Clare’s presence at Irish Fest was established in 2001 by former mayor of Clare and current chairman of the Clare tourist council, Flan Garvey. He has strongly defended sending a delegation to the festival despite the current economic climate.
“It is most important that we send a group. It is a tremendous opportunity to be there with our show and to promote the best of Co Clare, and we have wonderful facilities and attractions here. It is up to us to be there, and if you are not there you are not noticed and visitors will go somewhere else,” Mr Garvey said.
Clare Tourism Forum marketing executive Maureen Cleary said: “From the Clare Tourism Forum point of view we felt sending over brochures and promotional material was more important than I going personally, so that’s what we did.
“It’s a smaller delegation this year but it doesn’t mean it is any less powerful because those who are going out there are hard-working and they are there to sell Clare.”
Rejecting suggestions that he had been overlooked for the trip, mayor of Clare Christy Curtin said: “I just take it as it is. It is a judicious and pragmatic arrangement to represent the real interests of Clare, to ensure we get the tourists back and engage with the diaspora. That’s what matters and as mayor I will be here to welcome the diaspora to Clare.
“There are over 35 million Americans of Irish descent and all that matters is that we get as many of them to visit this great county of contrast and interest,” he said.
Mr Garvey will be accompanied by Siobhán Garvey, marketing and development officer with Kilrush Town Council, and Katherine Webster, director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
At the 2007 festival, more than two million US viewers watched the launch of the Clare Tourism Forum’s official website on US television network Fox News.