This article is from page 16 of the 2012-02-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
TENS of thousands of extra Chinese tourists look set to flock to North Clare this year – and possibly for many years into the future – following discussion on establishing educational links between the Cliffs of Moher and a number of Geoparks in China.
The link was suggested by China’s president elect, Xi Jinping, during his historic visit to the Cliffs of Moher on Sunday morning. While in conversation with the manager of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, Katherine Webster, the Chinese vice president suggested forming a number of education links between the Burren and a number of Geoparks in China.
“I told him that the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren had recently been granted UNESCO Geopark status and he was very interested in this. He suggested that a major educational exchange be set up between the Geoparks in China and the Cliffs of Moher. This would be a very significant development for us and something that we definitely intend to follow up on,” said Katherine.
“He was very interested in the history of the Cliffs and in the natural landscape of the area. He told me that he has previously seen the Cliffs in a film, which must have been Harry Potter, and he told me that he had been looking forward to coming to see the Cliffs even before the state visit was announced.
The Cliffs of Moher has already recorded a dramatic increase in the number of Chinese visitors using the North Clare facility so far this year. More than eight Chinese tours, amounting more than 250 holidays makers, have visited the Cliffs of Moher since January – and this figures is expected to swell into the tens of thousands once the tourist season gets into full swing.
Thousands of extra Chinese visitors are also expected in North Clare during this year’s London Olympics.
“We have already seen a large increase in the numbers of Chinese visitors coming to the Cliffs this year so we are very hopeful of what will come this year,” continued Katherine.
“He will be taking a bit of Clare back home with him – we presented him with a painting of the Cliffs set in a Liscannor Flag frame and I know that the Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes, spoke to him about Irish music and gave him a few CDs of traditional music. So there will some Martin Hayes heard in Beijing soon no doubt.”