GALWAY is set to buck the national downturn in tourism to hold its own on last year with the domestic and European markets driving up numbers in their search for value breaks.
The number of tourists coming to the West of Ireland from the UK will be down by up to 20% – due in the most part to the weakness of sterling – while the American market has also regressed by 15% to 20%, which is being blamed on poor consumer sentiment, according to early figures from the industry.
However in the first glimmer of hope since the recession hit, John Concannon, Director of Regional Development at Fáilte Ireland, is adamant that Galway City, Connemara and the islands are likely to fare better than anywhere else in the country this Summer. Bookings from Germany and France have strengthened, while there has been an upsurge in interest from Irish people who are spurning overseas holidays due to falling wages and lost jobs.
The biggest travel agencies are reporting a 40% drop in bookings for foreign holidays by locals. However hotels, B&Bs and traditional family holiday destinations such as seaside caravan parks are reporting stronger bookings than in previous years, particularly since the weather improved in late May.
And in another cause for optimism in these gloomy times, Met Éireann are cautiously predicting that the rest of the Summer will continue the general trend of the last six weeks, with the seasonal forecast for July, August and September promising lots of warm, dry weather, interrupted by sporadic showers rather than any prolonged wet spells.