Filed under: Events, Festivals, Ireland, People, Places, tourism | Tags: failte ireland, Galway, Galway Bay, galway ireland, galway tourism, Ireland, Irish Tourism, summer festivals, tourism galway, travel, visit galway, visitors to ireland, Volvo Ocean Race, west of ireland
Volvo ocean race galway
The organisations behind a high-profile event held earlier this year in Galway have yet to pay some of their suppliers and are in talks with a number of them in a bid to get their bills discounted or rescheduled.
Businesses which supplied Volvo Race in Galway say that they have yet to be paid by the organisations behind the event.
The Volvo Ocean Race have offering 70 per cent of the total that they owe with the prospect of further payments in the future.
The owner-manager of one of the suppliers pointed out that he has over 30 staff who have to be paid every week, and added that his business cannot afford to operate in a situation where it is not being paid.
The stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race, a round-the-world sailing event in Galway, was billed as a huge success. It was originally estimated that it would attract up to 140,000 spectators or “visits” over a two-week period.
Ultimately, it was estimated that it drew some 600,000, with a considerable spin-off for the city and the region.
A spokeswoman for Let’s Do It Galway, the group behind the organisation of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Galway, confirmed that it has a number of creditors who supplied goods and services to the event that have yet to be paid.
She said that the organisation had contracts with about 1,000 suppliers, and was dealing with debts running to a “double-figure number”.
The spokeswoman said that it was seeking discounts and attempting to reschedule payments to these suppliers.
State tourism agency Fáilte Ireland pledged €8 million to the Volvo Ocean Race. The spokeswoman explained that the body is not due to pay this money until Let’s Do It Galway completes a number of audits and reports on which it is currently working.
It also has to collect some sponsorship money due from smaller, local backers.
Filed under: Events, Festivals, Ireland, People, Places, tourism | Tags: galway ireland, galway races, galway tourism, Ireland, summer festivals, tourism galway, visit galway, west of ireland
The Galway Races Summer Festival organising committee are hopeful that despite the recession attendances at this year’s flagship event will hold steady, with a ‘late burst of bookings’ indicating that between 180,000 and 200,000 are likely to flock to Ballybrit from Monday next. Galway City businesses are keeping their fingers crossed too that the remarkable pulling power of the annual pinnacle of Galway’s tourism season will rescue what has been a difficult Summer so far by pumping an estimated €70 million or €80 million injection into the local economy.
Last year around 175,000 paying customers went through the stalls at Ballybrit over the seven days with an estimated 30,000 or so more in the free area and funfair area adjacent to the entrance tunnel opposite the stand and although Mr Moloney said the numbers could be down 10% this year, he is hopeful numbers will hold steady.
Filed under: Ireland, People, Places, Volvo Ocean Race, tourism | Tags: Galway, galway tourism, Ireland, Irish Tourism, Oceans, Sailing, summer festivals, tourism galway, travel, visit galway, visitors to ireland, Volvo Ocean Race, Waves, west of ireland
Work is expected to begin within the next week on demolishing giant oil storage tanks at Galway docks which are regarded by visitors and locals alike as an eyesore in the city centre. The demolition has been accelerated to ensure that Galway puts its best foot forward for the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in the city next month. Up to 150,000 visitors are expected to head to the western capital for the event, which takes place between May 23 and June 6 and which will have a television audience of 1.8 billion. The removal of the 11 tanks will facilitate a massive Volvo Ocean Race tented village which will be constructed along the dockside, allowing maximum viewing access for the expected massive crowds. The stopover is expected to generate a spend in the region of €40m across the wider Galway area, with the Government, under the aegis of Failte Ireland, stumping up €8m to promote the event.
Filed under: Ireland, People, Surfing Ireland, Volvo Ocean Race, tourism | Tags: Galway Bay, galway ireland, galway tourism, Ireland, Sailing, summer festivals, tourism galway, visitors to ireland, Volvo Ocean Race, west of ireland
TOURISM bosses have issued a stark warning to Galway hotels, bars and other businesses in the hospitality sector not to jeopardise the city’s reputation abroad by overcharging and ‘cashing-in’ during the Volvo Ocean Race this Summer. Up to 140,000 visitors are expected to visit Galway for the two week festival in May and June which represents a unique opportunity to showcase Galway and get repeat tourism business.
Fáilte Ireland have warned businesses that if they overcharge and fail to offer a warm welcome, the city’s reputation will be sullied which could cause damage to the long-term future of the tourism sector in Galway and the West.
Already 30 hotels have signed up to the ‘Galway accommodation charter’ where they have agreed to offer fair pricing during the stopover, and others have been urged to follow their lead as there are fears that negative publicity internationally about poor service and overcharging could damage Galway city’s bid to hold the stopover again in four years time.
Filed under: Ireland, Places, Surfing Ireland, conservation, tourism | Tags: beaches, Galway, Ireland, maps, Surfing, tourism
THERE are fears that Galway’s reputation as a premier tourist destination will be severely damaged following the publication of a damning report into the bathing water quality in the county.
The Environmental Protection Agency report, which was published yesterday, identifies county Galway as having two of the worst beaches for water quality in Ireland. The environmental watchdog deemed the water at two Galway beaches, Clifden and Na Forbacha, unsafe to swim or bathe in because they failed to meet the standards for ‘faecal coliforms’ — human or animal waste material in the water.
Just two other beaches in the country have failed to meet this basic European water quality standard.
It is the third year in a row Clifden failed to comply with the regulations while Na Forbacha also failed in 2005 but complied in 2006.
The number of overseas visitors coming to Ireland has jumped by more than 70,000 in 12 months, according to Central Statistic Office (CSO) figures.
From a report recently announced by Galwaytourism.ie, in November 2007 there were 569,300 overseas trips to Ireland, compared with 497,500 in November 2006, an increase of 71,800. Trips to Ireland by residents of Britain increased by 36,600 and there was an increase of 33,300 in the number of trips to Ireland by residents of other European countries. Trips to Ireland by residents of North America increased by 3,800, while trips from other areas fell by 1,800.
British travellers accounted for 53 per cent of all overseas trips to Ireland, followed by residents of USA at 10 per cent.
There were 509,700 trips by Irish residents to other countries in November 2007 compared with 488,500 in November 2006, an increase of 21,200.
