This article is from page 21 of the 2007-09-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
ese
terday that he would find it very diffi-
cult to stay in business if the Shannon- Heathrow route was not restored.
Michael Vaughan, who is also the
Clare representative for the Irish Ho-
tels Federation, says he stands to lose
some €150,000 in annual turnover.
Vaughan Lodge will also be the location for a top level meeting of regional tourism leaders today (Tues- day), with a major announcement ex- pected to be made later today.
“With my own business, I estimate that I will be down about 15 per cent of my turnover if the Heathrow route goes. If 15 per cent of my business was no longer viable, I can tell you that my whole property would no longer be viable. It’s a very marginal business at the best of time,” he said.
“We are finding it much more dif- ficult to attract golfing groups from
the west of Heathrow. A number of groups who usually come in that way have been telling us that they will no longer be in a position to come into the country.
“I have a fear for the smaller busi- nesses, not so much the bigger busi- nesses, but the bed and breakfasts, guest-houses and smaller hotels along the coast. Fifteen per cent of all American traffic comes into Clare through Heathrow, that is a fair whack of people.
“I know of one high-end property in the region that has €500,000 of busi- ness tourism groups from Canada
which is in the balance until the Hea- throw question is sorted. It is happen- ing all over.
“We don’t have the ability at the moment to market to international markets from the region.”
Attending today’s meeting along- side Mr Vaughan will be solicitor Michael Houlihan, Cllr John Crowe (FG), Mark Fitzgerald of Woodlands Hotel in Adare, Robert Byrne of Lim- erick Vintners Association, Cllr Peter Considine (FF), Alex Fleming of Clare County Council, John King of Shannon Development, Paul O’’ Toole the head of Failte Ireland and his col-
league John Concannon.
The group will be briefed by a number of headline tourist industry representatives in Clare, including representatives of Doonbeg Golf Course and Dromoland Castle.
“We are going to get a first-hand report from these people on how the axing of the Heathrow route will ef- fect their businesses and we will be coming out with a recommenda- tion regarding that,” continued Mr Vaughan.
“In this case we will be making a statement in what we feel the Gov- ernment will do on the issue.”