promotional methods in tourism in co clare

EEvvaalluuaattiioonn ooff PPrroommoottiioonnaall MMeetthhooddss iinn TToouurriissmm

iinn CCoouunnttyy CCllaarree

Commissioned by

Clare County Development Board

Bord Forbartha Contae an Chláir

November 2004

Evaluation of Promotional Methods in Tourism in County Clare 2

Foreword Tourism is an important contributor to the economy of County Clare. Worth in the region of €125 million annually, and with in excess of 1 million visitors, it supports almost 3,000 jobs. The Bunratty/Shannon/Ennis triangle has been identified as the 5th largest tourism accommodation cluster after Dublin, Cork, Galway and Killarney (Fitzpatrick Associates, 2001) A key objective of the Clare County Development Board is to further develop and deliver an integrated quality tourism product in County Clare. The Board recognises the need to continually monitor our tourism industry and ensure that we are operating to the highest standards nationally and internationally. With this in mind the County Development Board Strategy (“Shaping the future” – launched in 2002) highlighted the need “to assess the impact of the current promotional methods used in the county”. In response, the Community and Enterprise Unit of Clare County Council, as the lead agency for this action, commissioned this review of tourism promotional methods used in the County. The study examines the overall approach to tourism promotion in Clare, and the promotional methods used in terms of impact, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. It also reviews best practices in tourism promotion both at home and abroad For the purpose of the study extensive consultation was carried out with tourism interests and service providers in Clare, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who gave so generously of their time in this regard. The study leads to a number of conclusions and key recommendations in relation to: • Tourism promotion Structures in Clare • Co-ordination issues • Tourism Development Officer and funding • Target markets, and • Promotion methods It is intended that this Report will be widely available to tourism interests and service providers and that it will stimulate discussion and action to ensure that Clare maintains and improves its’ position as a top tourist destination. The County Development Board is committed to working in partnership with the various interests to achieve this objective.

Pat Hayes Bernadette Kinsella Chairperson Director of Services Clare County Development Board Community & Enterprise


Table of Contents Executive Summary p4 Chapter 1: Introduction p10 1.1 Aims & Objectives p10 1.2 Research Methodology p10 Chapter 2:Trends in Tourism p12 2.1 World Tourism Growth p12 2.2 Trends in Irish Tourism p13 2.3 Factors Affecting International Tourism and Travel p14 Chapter 3: Tourism &Tourism Promotion in County Clare p17 3.1 Introduction p17 3.2 The Shannon Region p17 3.3 Tourism in Co. Clare p21 3.4 Tourism Promotion in County Clare p22

Chapter 4: Best Practices in Tourism Promotion p39 4.1 Meath Tourism p39 4.2 Mayo Naturally p41 4.3 West Cork Tourism p43 4.4 Galway East Tourism p44 4.5 Kildare Failte p44 4.6 Philadelphia p45 4.7 A Review of Best Practice/ Lessons learned p46 Chapter 5: Conclusions & Recommendations p51 5.1 Tourism Promotion Structures in Clare p51 5.2 Co-ordination Problems p51 5.3 Tourism Development Officer (TDO) p53 5.4 Profiling County Clare p56 5.5 Target Markets p56 5.6 Promotion Methods p57


Executive Summary I. Background This report investigates the plethora of tourism promotional tools used by local and regional authorities, NGOs, and members of the trade in attracting tourists to County Clare. It identifies the promotional methods used, assesses their effectiveness and efficiency and, based on examples of best practise, makes recommendations aimed at improving the overall success of promotional activities in the county. This review is being carried out against the backdrop of a tremendous dynamic in the tourism sector. As the nature and characteristics of the tourism industry changes, so too does the promotional efforts that are designed to shape the market need to change. In particular, increasing choices of destination, and increasing access to information on these destination choices, creates new challenges in the profiling and promotion of particular destinations. This report examines the promotional efforts in County Clare under a number of headings: • Tourism Promotion Structures • General Approaches to Enhancing the Profile of County Clare • Target Markets • Promotional Tools II. Tourism Promotion Structures The overwhelming impression of the institutional environment for tourism promotion in the county is that of a patchwork of agencies and activities, held together by persistently weak threads. There is a need to create stronger synergies between the various agencies involved in tourism promotion so as to enhance the collective impact of their individual efforts on tourism development in County Clare specifically. These synergies are unlikely to be created without a dedicated structure working to co-ordinate the activities of the various agencies and to ensure complementarity between them. III. Tourism Development Officer and Funding Previous experience in Clare, and elsewhere, demonstrates the difficulties (primarily funding difficulties) that can be encountered in establishing a private company to fulfil this co-ordinating role in the short-term. Although our research shows a general willingness, in principle, amongst members of the trade to fund a dedicated tourism promotion structure, previous experiences demonstrates the difficulties of mobilising this funding. The key difficulty lies in convincing the members of the trade that funding contributed will offer a net benefit to the contributor.


As such, it is recommended that Clare Tourist Council prepare a comprehensive proposal, primarily directed at the trade, to fund the position of a county Tourism Development Officer (TDO) and to establish an annual budget for various county-level promotional activities. It is critically important that this proposal contain concrete promotional actions that are clearly of benefit to contributors. Some examples of such promotional activities are presented below. The overall role of the Officer, who should have a professional background in marketing and tourism, would be to promote the development of tourism in the county by: • strengthening the co-ordination of the promotional efforts of the existing regional

and county-level agencies in the way that they impact on County Clare. • ensuring that all promotional efforts are responsive to the needs of the trade in the

county. • acting as a source of promotional advice and support (a resource centre of sorts),

especially for smaller tourism operators. • carrying out innovative promotional campaigns to fill the gaps left by the larger

agencies. We would envisage a two-stage plan of activities for the TDO over a period of five years. In the first stage (three years), the TDO’s key objective would be to establish a track record of concrete achievement and to build up sound working relationships with the trade and the other agencies in the county. This will allow for the creation of better synergies in the promotional effort in the county and enhance the likelihood of a sustained funding from the trade over an extended period. In other words, given that funding is likely to be limited in the early stages, the initial work of the TDO will be to demonstrate the value of the position, even in an environment of limited resources, to an uncertain trade. In the second stage, the key target would be to use the track record developed in the first stage to leverage additional funds from the trade. In all stages, the trade would obviously have a strong influence in funding decisions made. Our research shows that additional funding would be expected to come from the private sector. Tourism promotion companies from other counties stated that the serious difficulties encountered in raising funding from the trade only decrease as working relationships are developed with the trade. IV. Co-operation One of the most important activities of the TDO would be to act as a co-ordinator of tourism promotion activity and foster co-operation between key players in the area of tourism promotion. In this regard, several types of co-operative relationship can be defined: Co-operation with the RTA Shannon Development is the most influential player in the promotion of County Clare as a tourist destination. The RTA has a strong influence on the design of all national promotional efforts, while at the same time, it has a direct responsibility for the promotion of the region as a whole.


Within Ireland, a good relationship with the local RTA is especially important in providing cohesive marketing of the county. Strengthening the relationship between the RTA and the county is necessary to improve the marketing of county in both domestic and international markets. Activities such as attendance at tourism exhibitions with the RTA can lead to synergies in promotional effort. Given budget limitations and the difficulties in making an impact on an international level, most county level agencies have sought to gain maximum benefit from the RTA’s activities for their own areas e.g. RTA assistance on tourism initiatives, which are consistent with regional interests Co-operation with the Trade A promoter of any destination needs to work hard to promote greater cohesion and co-operation within the tourism industry locally. A tourism promoter in a county setting should ideally act as a focal point for the trade, to which opinions, ideas and problems can be expressed. These opinions and ideas should be processed and, in turn, specific marketing proposals submitted to members of the trade for its support. Examples of initiatives created through a co-ordination of marketing effort and fostering co-operation within the tourism industry are shown in counties such as Meath where angling packages, for example, were developed in conjunction with local accommodation providers. Co-operation with Neighbouring Counties A strong relationship with tourism promoters in neighbouring counties is also important. In particular locations, especially those with a weaker tourism product mix, there is a great deal of advantage to be gained in engaging in co-operative efforts with authorities in neighbouring areas. This usually relates to the promotion of a particular product (e.g. historical sites or buildings) that may require some co-operation with neighbouring areas. V. Target Markets In our view, the primary target for the marketing activities of any county level promoter in County Clare would logically be the island of Ireland. This is true for several reasons: • the domestic market represents a growing market with increasing spending power. • There is a growing trend towards short breaks, often in the off-season, which will

continue to grow. • It is not likely that either Fáilte Ireland or the RTA will be engaging in county

specific tourism promotion in the home market in the foreseeable future. • Since the promotional budget for County Clare is likely to be limited in the short

to medium term, there is a need to target the market whose holiday choices can be influenced at reduced expense.

It is clear that impossibly vast budgets would be required for County Clare to have a serious impact in the international markets. Nevertheless, a carefully designed international promotional campaign has the potential to deliver substantial results. This is particularly true if the focus is on niche markets e.g. heritage holidays, golfing holidays, eco-tourism holidays, Irish traditional music etc. We would envisage that this type of specifically targeted, cost-effective, international promotion could aim at:


• Campaigns in cities from which there is a direct flight to Shannon airport • Locations in the US, UK, or Australia with a significant Clare diaspora • Activity specific promotion (e.g. direct electronic contact with overseas branches

of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann for special traditional music weekends, overseas walking clubs for hiking festivals, etc.)

Best practices have indicated that niche focused promotion is best achieved through: • Attendance at niche market trade exhibitions with RTAs • Creation of packages to be promoted by an online and offline campaign. i.e. all

promotional literature supported by tourism website. VI. Promotion Methods The study considers some of the main promotional tools used in the industry generally and assesses the effectiveness of their use in the County Clare context. The value of any particular promotional method clearly depends on the peculiarities of the market that is being targeted. Internet Internet promotion is becoming increasingly important in all sub-sectors of the industry. There are many Internet sites established which give information to tourists travelling to Clare. However, the majority of these sites are either poor quality or lacking in information regarding the county e.g. heritage sites, places to see etc. In addition, Internet searches reveal a quite poor profile for County Clare tourism on the World Wide Web. With this in mind Clare Tourist Council have recently undertaken to develop a dedicated tourism site for the County. This report provides guidelines and recommendations based on best practices for the current and future development of the County tourism site. The key to achieving the benefits of Internet promotion is having a well-designed and well-maintained website that is attractive, informative, interactive and quick to download. Well-designed tourism websites from other counties incorporate information as accurate and detailed as brochures or timetables, photos and graphs and essentially operate as a ‘Virtual Tourist Office’. Effective sites are updated regularly with information regarding the county's tourism products and services, such as entertainment available etc. Some specific examples of the type of web pages that the site should contain are presented in the main text. The website should focus on the provision of basic information aimed at both interested tourists as well as the tourism trade itself. The website should be designed so that it can be easily updated by the TDO or the IT department of Clare County Council. It should be linked to the RTA site to allow access to Shannon Development’s accommodation database and other facilities. The website needs to be ‘profiled’ effectively so as to ensure that the site appears prominently in search results on the main search engines. The County Council site (www.clare.ie) should also contain a link to the tourism site. Promotional Print The use of promotional print and especially brochures within the tourism industry and County Clare is widespread. However, our research indicates the number of brochures


being published is being reduced and this trend is likely to continue due to the growth of the Internet as a promotional medium and the high cost and high wastage of producing brochures. Nevertheless, in certain cases, printed material may be necessary to support particular marketing initiatives e.g. ‘packages’, ‘special offers’, ‘trails’ etc. and, in general terms, we would envisage such expense being borne by the promoter of the particular product or service being promoted. In general, promotional literature in County Clare is widespread across a variety of areas. Much of the literature is repetitive and, given the cost of producing such literature, there is a need for co-ordination between the various county bodies producing literature. The production of a “heritage circle” booklet by the Clare Heritage Circle is an example of the type of best practice which should be encouraged across the industry. By using promotional print already produced by the RTA and by the trade, the new TDO has the opportunity to effectively reduce the publication burden. Similarly, the RTA in certain circumstances may be convinced to produce county level publications if these are consistent with regional priorities. All pieces of promotional print produced by the RTA should display the County Clare website address. Public Relations Publicity is recognised throughout the tourism industry as an effective and relatively inexpensive form of promotion. At the moment, there would appear to be very little in the way of publicity or public relations events organised to promote the county. One of the functions of the TDO will be to act as an organiser of such public relations events for the county. This will involve: • Developing a database of contacts within media contacts • Organising familiarisation trips for members of the tourism and travel media to

the county • Organising ‘stunts’ that publicise the county as a tourist destination • Working relationships should be developed with members of local, national and

international media. It is well known that features in magazines and newspapers constitute an extremely powerful promotional tool. Photographs, information and contact information should be provided to the media to assist them in reporting from the County. The Shannon Development site; www.IrishFreckles.com already contains most of this information on a regional level.

Advertising While individual organisations within the trade advertise quite widely, there would appear to be little in the way of direct advertising of County Clare as a tourist destination. Advertising can be an expensive form of promotion and, as such, any advertising undertaken should be targeted carefully e.g. a full-page colour advertisement in the Irish Times costs in the region of €28,000 (€23,000 for black and white). Best practices from other counties show that: • Choice of publication is very important. On a tight promotional budget, the return

from advertising in niche publications is often very worthwhile.


• Readership, coverage and cost should all be considered when deciding on which publication to advertise in.

• Generally, the cost of particular advertising activities can be shared by the members of the trade whose business is being collectively advertised, e.g. advertising 'special offers' and 'package deals'.

Advertising on the Internet is an increasingly popular promotional method. For example, an advertisement on the Irish Times website, (www.ireland.com), or the Irish Independent website, (www.unison.ie) can be targeted by geographically region, time of day and date. Currently, ireland.com has about 200,000 visits per month from all over the world while unison.ie hosts about 450,000 worldwide visitors per month. Tourism Exhibitions Our research has found trade fairs to be a useful form of tourism promotion for creating ‘word-of-mouth’ recommendations in favour of a particular destination and increasing profile as opposed to general sales that can be directly attributed to the exhibition. Representatives of the Clare Tourism Council take part in annual tourism exhibitions worldwide and individual members of the trade occasionally participate in sector-specific trade fairs. Best practice from other counties indicates that a mutually cooperative relationship should be developed with Shannon Development, particularly with regard to County Clare’s participation on the RTA stand in domestic and international tourism exhibitions. It is not cost-effective, at least in the short-term, for County Clare to set up county stands of its own in large international exhibitions. Rather, carefully selected exhibitions in niche areas may provide a more-effective approach for county authorities.


Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Aims and Objectives This report investigates current tourism promotional tools used by local and regional authorities, NGO’s and members of the trade in attracting tourists to County Clare. It will identify the promotional methods used, assess their effectiveness and efficiency, and make recommendations for future incorporation into promotional activities. The objectives of the study as stated by the Terms of Reference are:

a) To critically assess the overall approach to promotion in Clare, and the promotional methods adopted, in terms of impact, cost-effectiveness and sustainability, and

b) To provide a small number of focused recommendations that can be implemented by actors within the tourism industry in Clare, which will improve the effectiveness of promotional activity in the county.

1.2 Research Methodology

The research methodology used in fulfilling the above objectives is diagrammatically outlined below. Fig. 1.1 Methodological Overview

Step1: Literature Review

Step2: Consultation

Step3: Conclusions & Recommendations

Step 1: Literature Review An exhaustive review of existing documentation was undertaken in order to assure the most economic use of previous research in the completion of the study. Documents were sourced from the private sector, public sector and the academic publications held in the library at NUI Galway. Literature was evaluated in the areas of:

- Modern tourism trends - International tourism marketing theory


- National, regional and local economic tourism data - Irish and International examples of best practice

Promotional literature published by various tourism actors throughout the county was also assimilated and evaluated. Step 2:Consultation Process Semi-structured personal and telephone interviews were conducted with key stakeholders in the county tourism industry in order to gather information in relation to: • Tourism promotion methods currently utilised in the county • Suggestions from trade for improved tourism promotion • Current levels of co-operation within the tourism industry of the county The stakeholders contacted included some of the following:

1. Clare County Council 2. Clare County Development Board 3. Shannon Development 4. Shannon Heritage 5. RRD/Leader programme 6. Non Government Organisations e.g. Clare Tourist Council 7. Accommodation providers e.g. guesthouses, B&Bs, hotels, 8. Tourist Attractions e.g. Burren Centre, Ailwee Caves, 9. Specialist Tourism Providers e.g. walking, angling holiday providers

Step 3: Conclusions & Recommendations Based on the assimilated knowledge gathered from the previous two stages, a number of conclusions and recommendations are made. These recommendations relate to the institutional arrangements for tourism promotion was well as to the promotional methods that can be adopted cost-effectively for the promotion of the county.


Chapter 2:Trends in Tourism 2.1 World Tourism Growth The growth in international travel has been one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena of the past century. Only twice in the past 50 years has tourism failed to grow: first in 1982, following the oil crisis and again in 2001 due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in northern Europe and the impact of the attacks on the World Trade Centre, New York on September 11th. In 2001 the overall impact of these World events on tourism was a drop of 0.6% in tourism arrivals globally, and a decline in earnings of 5.2%. (World Trade Organisation, 2003) Over the past fifty years the number of international arrivals has gone from a mere 25 million international arrivals in 1950 to 715 million of 2002, corresponding to an average annual growth rate of about 7 per cent. The industry has outpaced general economic growth since 1975 by a factor of 1.3 and is predicted to keep growing. Tourism is a major sector in the world economy generating over €500 billion in annual receipts, sustaining in excess of 70 million jobs and accounting for almost 4% of global GDP (World Trade Organisation, 2003). The WTO forecasts that international arrivals are expected to reach over 1.56 billion by the year 2020 (Fig 2.1). Of these, 1.2 billion will be intra-regional (regions defined in Fig 2.1) and 0.4 billion will be long-haul travellers between the regions. By 2020 Europe will be the top tourist destination (717 mil arrivals) followed by East Asia and the Pacific (397 mil arrivals), and the Americas (282 mil arrivals). Fig 2.1 International Tourist Arrivals

Source: World Trade Organisation


2.2 Trends in Irish Tourism Over the past three decades tourism has grown into one of Ireland’s key economic sectors. In 2002 tourism accounted for 4.4% of GNP, generated 4 billion in foreign revenue and supported 141,000 jobs throughout the country, with significant employment created in remote rural locations. In the last decade alone employment in the tourism sector grew by 70% compared to a 50% growth rate in the economy in general. Throughout the 1990s, revenue from tourism in Ireland grew on average by 7% per year. This growth is expected to continue with overseas revenue likely to double to €6 billion and visitor numbers to increase from 6 to 10 million by 2012 (Tourism Policy Review Group, 2003). As already indicated, Irish tourism trends in recent years have been broadly reflective of developments in the global market. In 2002 the number of overseas visits to the country increased by 5.8% to over 6 million visits (Fig 2.2). This growth was recorded after a drop in visitor numbers in 2001 due to unfavourable economic conditions, the outbreak of foot and mouth, the spread of the SARS virus, and the September 11th attacks.

Fig 2.2 Overseas Visitors to Ireland (000's)

50075716 6068 6310 5990 6065

01000200030004000500060007000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Total Overseas Visits(000's)

Source: CSO Dublin remains dominant as the primary tourist destination in Ireland (Fig 2.3). Overall, Dublin hosted 4,273,000 visitors in 2002, generating revenue of €1.3 bn. This represents more than 2.5 times the visitor numbers to the Shannon region and nearly three times the revenue.

Fig 2.3 Regional Tourist Numbers

4273

1377 17922620

17092354

1300

010002000300040005000

Dublin Midlands/East

South-East

South-West

Shannon West North-West

Tourist Visited

Source: CSO/Failte Ireland/ NITB


One of the more interesting features of Dublin tourism has been the significant growth in short breaks to the city. This growth in short city breaks has been facilitated by the ease of access particularly from the UK and Europe. 2.2.1 Domestic Tourism Domestic tourism represents an important segment of the Irish tourism industry. In 2002 revenue from domestic tourism was €961 million from 5.9 million trips (Fig 2.4). In other words, domestic tourism constitutes almost half of all visitor numbers seeking accommodation and a fifth of the overall revenues generated by tourism.

Fig 2.4 Domestic Tourist Numbers 1997-2002

6850 6934 72856556

7488

5891

010002000300040005000600070008000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Domestic Trips

In the period 1997-2001 revenue from domestic tourism grew by almost 50%. Although revenue and the number of trips fell considerably in 2002 (as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak) the domestic market nevertheless remains strong. At the regional level, the Southwest region is the most popular destination for domestic tourists (23% of all home-based holidays) and the Western region is the third most popular region (18% of domestic holidaymakers1). This means that County Clare is situated between two of the top domestic tourism destinations in Ireland and therefore is geographically suited to domestic tourism. Interestingly, less than 10% of total domestic holidaymakers visit Dublin. Therefore any promotional efforts aimed at developing domestic tourism to County Clare would not have to contend with the high competition from Dublin as experienced in the overseas market. 2.3 Factors Affecting International Tourism and Travel The tourism industry has been affected by a variety of demographic, economic, social and technological changes, which have resulted in a number of new emerging trends in the tourism sector. As real disposable incomes have increased, and the real cost of travel declined, the volume of tourists has exponentially increased and the economic 1 The Southeastern region is second with 21% and the Shannon region performs reasonably well capturing 12% of the domestic market.


value of the sector with it. As the industry grew, so too did the sophistication of the product offered and the means by which the product was delivered. The following sections summarise some of the key factors currently affecting the growth and development of the tourism sector globally. 2.3.1 Cash Rich, Time Poor There is a strong underlying relationship between the level of a consumer’s disposable income and the quantity of travel consumed. Strong economic growth in developed economies in recent decades has generated a specific “cash rich time poor” population segment seeking to maximise the use of available recreational time (New Horizons Report, 2003). Specifically, there has been a growing tendency in recent years to take shorter holiday breaks, travel more often and stay for shorter periods of time. This has been partly due to a fragmentation of holidays, whereby flexible working conditions have resulted in people taking holidays outside the traditional holiday periods. It is also due to the emergence of the “cash rich, time poor” segment, noted above, who seek to maximise utility of leisure time while, at the same time, retaining a strong commitment to work. The increase in the number of people travelling for weekend breaks is a noteworthy example of this trend. In this environment, tourists are increasingly adopting a “wait-and-see” attitude to the planning and timing of their holidays. This has resulted in a trend towards later bookings, which, for tourism businesses, leads to an increasingly unpredictable demand for services and, consequently, a more unpredictable business-planning environment. 2.3.2 Low-Cost Air Travel A major driver of tourism growth has been the increasing availability of affordable transportation, especially air travel. Travel costs have fallen sharply in real terms in recent decades at a time when capacity and routes have dramatically increased. Medium and long-distance air travel has become significantly more affordable, while the low fare airlines have revolutionised short-haul journeys within North America, Europe and Australia. The increasing affordability of air travel is to some extent a double-edged sword for the tourism industry. On the one hand, it increases the potential overseas market by bringing foreign travel within the purchasing power of an increasing number of people outside Ireland. On the other hand, Irish holidaymakers who would previously have remained at home are now holidaying overseas in increasing numbers. 2.3.3 Changing Demographics Retired and elderly people now represent the wealthiest segment of society in Europe, the US and Japan. In 2001, one in seven people in North America and Japan were over 64 and one in four Europeans were over the age of 55 with the average age of retirement getting earlier (Jefferson, 1995). Retired people will account for a larger share of the population in the future and tourism will inevitably respond to their needs accordingly. The ageing population in the developed world, especially within Europe, presents significant new challenges and opportunities for the tourism sector both in terms of the design of the tourism product itself as well as the delivery of that product.


2.3.4 The Changing Tourism Experience In general terms, people have become more experienced travellers with heightened expectations of quality and value. Also, many modern travellers want holidays to be an experience where they have the opportunity to interact with local culture. There is an increasing demand for heritage related tourist attractions and personal experiences of local cultural and historical activities which should inform any campaign to promote local level tourism products. This has resulted in an increased emphasis on heritage and eco-tourism related tourism. In line with the above trends ecotourism is reputed to be the fastest-growing sector of the world tourism industry, with estimates of its growth ranging between 10% and 30% per annum. The sector is reputed to attract high spending tourists and estimates suggest it to be worth between $10 and $17.5 billion worldwide. The increase in demand for ecotourism ties in with the general trends in modern tourism and is been driven by:

• An increase in the aging populations in the developed world, • The growing tendency of travellers to take life-enriching vacations that

involve education, the outdoors and nature, • The increasing desire of today’s urban, desk-bound society to be more

physically active. Overall, lifestyle is increasingly influencing people’s leisure time activities: more concerns for health have resulted in an increase in activity holidays (walking, cycling, golfing); more concern with self-improvement and self-expression has resulted in an increasing uptake of adult learning and leisure weekends as well as special interest holidays. These trends are likely to accelerate over the next decade.


Chapter 3: Tourism and Tourism Promotion in County Clare 3.1 Introduction An evaluation of tourism promotional tools requires an understanding of the tourism product in the location under review. This chapter describes the main features of the tourism industry in the Shannon region and in County Clare. Due to the division of Ireland into regions and the existence of the RTA’s, there is more tourism data available at a regional level in Ireland. This is also due to the fact that trends in tourism development at a regional level are broadly reflective of those experienced in specific counties and more measurable. Much of the data available at a county level is sporadic, ad hoc and for the main part, the result of private studies. Therefore, this chapter incorporates the use of both regional and county data (where available) in profiling County Clare as a tourist destination. The chapter will continue to evaluate the main promotional tools used in the County by various public authorities, NGO’s and by the trade itself. 3.2 The Shannon Region 3.2.1 Overseas Tourism The unfavourable conditions for tourism led to a 9% decrease in the number of overseas tourists to the Shannon region in 2001. In 2002, there were a total of 963,000 overseas visitors to the Shannon Region, representing a decrease of 5.7% on 2001 and an aggregate 16% decline since visitor numbers peaked in 1999. Nearly fifty percent of all holidays taken in the region occurred during the peak season of June, July and August. This substantial decline in the number of overseas tourists to the region has resulted in a corresponding fall in the revenue generated from tourism (Fig 3.1). Revenue decreased by 3.3% in 2001 from €314 m. to €304 million, recovering slightly in 2002 to €305.8 million.


Fig 3.1 Revenue from Overseas Tourism to Shannon 1997-2002

237.8 212.8

284.7314.3 303.8 305.8

050

100150200250300350

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Revenue

Source: Failte Ireland Britain is the primary source of overseas tourists to the Shannon Region accounting for over one-third of all total overseas tourists numbers visiting the region and one-third of total spend (Fig 3.2). North America remains an important market, despite the events of 2001, while the mainland European market remains strong despite declining cost-competitiveness amongst Irish tourism providers.

Fig 3.2 Origin of Overseas tourists to Shannon Region 1997-2001

0

100

200

300

400

500

1997 1998 2000 2001

BritainMainland EuropeNorth AmericaOther Areas

Source: Failte Ireland

According to Fáilte Ireland’s survey of visitor attitudes, the main purpose of visit for most overseas visitors to the Shannon region was to enjoy a holiday (64%). Conferencing and business/meetings attracted 17% of overseas visitors to the region, 12% were visiting friends/ relatives and 5% visited for educational purposes (e.g. learn English) or for personal reasons.

3.2.2 Domestic Tourism

In 2001, nearly a million domestic trips were taken to the Shannon region, generating revenue of around €195 million (Failte Ireland, 2002). Of these, holidays accounted for about half of all visits and more than half of total revenue. About 37% of all


domestic visits originated in the province of Munster. County Dublin accounted for an additional 26% (€49 million) of total revenue (Figure 3.3).

Fig 3.3 Domestic Tourism to Shannon

0

10

20

30

40

50

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

DublinRest of LeinsterMunsterConnaught/Ulster


3.2.3 Accommodation Shannon has an increasing accommodation capacity, which is another indicator of the strength of tourism in the region. The capacity includes 147 five-star hotel rooms, and nearly 3,000 rooms in guesthouses and B&Bs. Table 3.1 Accommodation in Shannon

Approved Room Capacity

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Hotels 5* 137 136 136 136 147

4* 443 454 436 464 521

3* 2,387 2,924 3,242 3,324 3,376

Other hotels 964 1,004 1,057 1,242 1,212

Total Hotels 3,931 4,518 4,871 5,166 5,256Guesthouses and B&Bs 2,773 2,911 3,027 2,927 2,870Total Serviced Rooms 6,704 7,429 7,898 8,093 8,126Self Catering (Registered) 1,518 1,581 1,608 970 1,275Caravanning and Camping 1,172 1,999 1,599 1,276 1,134Hostels 2,037 1,700 2,166 1,026 1,561Source: Failte Ireland, 2002 The vast majority (75%) of visitors to the Shannon region stay in either a local Bed & Breakfast or a hotel (Fig 3.4). There are relatively few (6%) low-spending tourists staying at hostels or caravanning and camping.


Fig 3.4 Accomodation Used in Shannon (%)

35

40

5

2

415

HotelB&BRented/ Self-CateringCaravan & CampingHostelFriends & Relatives


The average length of stay by overseas tourists visiting the Shannon region was 4.5 days. Unlike the rest of Ireland, British tourists (5.1 days) stay longer in the Shannon region than North American tourists (3.4 days). Tourists from mainland Europe stay in the region an average of 4.9 days. 3.2.4 Access to the Region It is widely acknowledged that easy access is a key factor determining the potential for tourism development in particular locations. Air is by far the most popular means of accessing the Shannon region with Shannon International Airport situated at the heart of the region and Kerry Airport at its southern boundary. About 70% of all passengers who used Shannon Airport in 2002 were holidaymakers. On average over 70% of tourists visiting the Shannon region from Britain, North America, and Mainland Europe arrived directly into Ireland by air. Currently, there are 25 direct flights into Shannon Airport from a variety of destinations around the world: Destination Airline

1. Atlanta Delta Air Lines 2. Birmingham Flybe 3. Boston Aer Lingus 4. Brussels Ryanair 5. Chicago Aer Lingus 6. Cologne Hapaq Lloyd Express 7. Coventry Thomsonfly 8. Dublin Aer Lingus/Delta Airlines 9. Frankfurt Hahn Ryanair 10. Faro EUJet 11. Geneva EUJet 12. Glasgow Ryanair 13. Kent EUJet 14. London Gatwick EasyJet 15. London Heathrow Aer Lingus/Ryanair 16. London Stansted Aer Lingus/Ryanair


17. Manchester British Airways 18. Malaga EUJet 19. Minsk Belavia 20. Murcia EUJet 21. New York - JFK American Airlines/Air Lingus 22. New York – Newark Continental Airlines 23. Paris Ryanair 24. Philadelphia U.S Airways/United Airlines 25. Toronto Air Canada 26. Washington - Baltimore US Airways/ Aer Lingus

Cork and Rosslare ferry ports also provide access to the region from Swansea and Pembroke respectively. Each of these destinations represents a potential market for tourism into Co. Clare. Shannon Development recognises this potential and works closely with Aer Rianta to coordinate marketing activities. For example, since the introduction of a Shannon – Prestwick (Glasgow) route in early December 2003, Shannon Development has adjusted its marketing plans to take account of these new opportunities and is now due to attend the Glasgow Holiday Fair in January 2004. 3.3 Tourism in Co. Clare County Clare has a wealth of tourist attractions, which act as a magnet for visitors from Ireland and overseas. Major attractions such as Bunratty Castle, the Ailwee Caves, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Burren provide a mix of scenery, historical sites and cultural experiences that is an especially attractive mix for the overseas or domestic tourist. Co. Clare is also home to a range of facilities for equestrian, walking, angling, cycling, and golfing tourism and up to 30 festivals are also held in the county annually (Appendix I). The Bunratty/Shannon/Ennis triangle has been identified as the 5th largest tourism accommodation cluster after Dublin, Cork, Galway and Killarney (Fitzpatrick Associates, 2001). Tourism is an important contributor to the economy of Co. Clare, worth in the region of €125 million annually, with in excess of 1 million tourists visiting the county every year (Live the Life Feasibility Report, 2004). In 2001, County Clare received 52% (533,000) of all overseas tourists into the Shannon region but generated only 25% of total revenue (€76 million) generated in the region (Failte Ireland, 2003). Co. Clare is a dominant county in terms of overseas tourists to the region although it appears not to benefit financially to the same extent as other counties (such as Limerick). Derived figures suggest that domestic tourism is worth about €50 million annually to the county. Estimates deduced from national data suggest that tourism supports almost 3,000 jobs (or job equivalents) in Co. Clare. However, the benefits of tourism development have to a large extent been located in the west and north of the County with areas to the east remaining underdeveloped.


3.3.1 Tourist Motivations to Visit Co. Clare Recent studies suggest that overseas tourists to Co. Clare come in order to visit friends/family/trace roots, view the scenery, or as part of a tour (Live the Life Feasibility Study, 2003). The presence of the airport and positive recommendations from friends and family also heavily influenced the decision of overseas tourists to visit the county (Table 3.3).

Table 3.3 Motivations of Overseas Tourist to visit Co Clare

Reason No. % Visit friends/family/ancestors 40 38.5 Scenery 15 14.4 Part of Tour 14 13.5 Near Airport 13 12.5 On Recommendation 11 10.6 Business 11 10.6 Culture/history 6 5.8 Traditional Music 2 1.9 Source: Live The Life Feasibility study Domestic tourists visit Co. Clare for different reasons. A recent study of 111 domestic tourists to the county showed that over one third (35.2%) took a holiday in Co. Clare for “relaxation” (Table 3.4). Almost one quarter (23.4%) were visiting Co. Clare on business. Scenery and visiting friends/relatives were other popular reasons for coming to the county although they were not as significant as for the foreign tourists.

Table 3.4 Motivations to visit Co. Clare - Domestic tourists

Reasons No. % Restful/relaxing holiday 39 35.2 Business 26 23.4 Quality sightseeing/Scenery 20 17.9 Visit Friends/relatives 20 17.9 Hobby/Special Interest 13 11.8 Discover new destination 12 10.8 Source: Live the Life Feasibility Study 3.4 Tourism Promotion in County Clare The aim of promotional activities is to create demand for a product or service within selected target markets. Most promotional activities require an investment of time and money that can reap excellent rewards if carefully planned and executed. Promotion is a broad term that includes: • Advertising: Advertising involves the use of mass communications media to influence existing or potential consumers’ attitudes or behaviours toward a product or service. It uses a


variety of media such as: newspapers, magazines, radio, direct mail, outdoor billboards and television.

• Public Relations: Public relations include all activities designed to enhance and maintain favourable communication with a variety of target groups. Many people are strongly influenced in their choice of destination, accommodation and transport by the holiday programmes they see on television, and the reviews they read in the lifestyles sections of daily and weekend newspapers. As such, tourism promoters are making increasing efforts to influence media coverage of particular tourist destinations or tourism products. • Promotional Print There is a huge volume of promotional material published in the tourism industry that includes promotional brochures and tourism guidebooks. Brochures are often a main source of information at tourist offices and various tourist attractions and are also in the marketing of destinations at exhibitions and trade fairs. Guidebooks are a particularly important publication for the tourism sector. Recent Failte Ireland figures indicate that 40% of tourists visiting Ireland in 2002 cited guidebooks as information sources that influenced planning of their Irish holiday • Personal Selling/Tourism Exhibitions The most prominent personal selling tool in the tourism sector is tourism trade fairs and exhibitions. Tourism exhibitions offer the strong advantage of face-to-face interaction between tourism agents and can be a cost-effective means of reaching customers. The exhibition offers the opportunity to conduct a lot of business very quickly and effectively. • Internet-based marketing tools The application of new information and communication technologies has dramatically broadened people’s access to information about travel opportunities and has had a major impact on the travel and tourism industry. The WTO describes the web as the “ideal channel for promotion of destinations”. (WTO, 1999). There are a variety of agencies whose promotional activities affect the development of tourism in Co. Clare. On a national level, the promotion of Ireland as a tourist destination is primarily the responsibility of Failte Ireland. At a regional level, a similar responsibility is borne by Shannon Development for the Shannon region. Within County Clare itself, there are a number of organisations whose promotional activities affect the development of tourism in the county. These include public authorities, non-governmental organisations and the trade itself. Finally local tourism trade members undertake a significant amount of tourism promotion activities each year. The activities of all of the above are evaluated in the remainder of this chapter. 3.4.1 Fáilte Ireland The National Tourism Development Authority Act, 2003, amalgamated the functions previously undertaken by Bord Fáilte and CERT to create a newly named national tourism authority, Fáilte Ireland. Fáilte Ireland works in strategic partnership with the


government, RTA’s and various tourism interests to support Irish tourism development. Fáilte Ireland aim is to develop tourism in Ireland by enhancing the Irish tourism product and by improving marketing capabilities within the industry. To this extent they work in strategic coordination with Tourism Ireland Limited. Tourism Ireland Limited is the new North/South tourism company which carries out strategic all-Ireland destination marketing in all markets outside the island of Ireland. Fáilte Ireland’s has contributed significantly to the growth in Irish tourism in recent years. Tourism in Ireland has grown 1.5 times faster than the global average in the last decade, making Ireland a well-established destination in the international market with a strong domestic tourism base. 3.4.1.1 Promotional Activities Domestic Promotion Within the country Failte Ireland promotes the Republic of Ireland as a holiday destination to the home market and in Northern Ireland through the Discover Ireland Programme. The ‘Discover Ireland’ brand involves the production of the ‘Discover Ireland’ publication, creating ‘special offers’ such as ‘Golden holidays’, and the maintenance of a website specially aimed at the domestic market (www.discoverireland.ie). The majority of Discover Ireland information is sourced through the RTA's. Any profiling activity the county might undertake to increase or enhance the information available to the RTA's can ultimately be reflected in Discover Ireland promotional materials. Trade Promotions Failte Ireland attends a range of tourism exhibitions in both foreign and domestic markets. In all, over sixty exhibitions and workshops are attended annually and these vary from customer fairs to activity exhibitions. Trade exhibitions enable Failte Ireland to increase the profile of Ireland as a tourism destination in the international market. Publicity Failte Ireland organises familiarisation trips for around 1,000 journalists, photographers, and TV and radio crews from various global locations to Ireland annually. The main objective of this publicity is to create a positive image of Ireland in the media overseas. Internet Promotion Fáilte Ireland offers a number of e-business support services to the Irish Tourism Industry including advice on business planning, marketing, revenue generation, new media and technology and content management. They also have a large Internet presence. Current websites include: • www.ireland.ie - This is Failte Ireland’s customer site and the main point of

information for all tourists considering a to visit Ireland. The site is connected to the various RTA sites which in turn provide county level tourist information. Information regarding Co. Clare can be accessed through links to the Shannon


Development URL: www.shannonregiontourism.ie. County Clare features prominently on the main Failte Ireland website with a visitors to the site being able to view the Cliffs of Moher in a 360 degrees rotating video clip of the area.

• www.irelandofthewelcomes.com - this website provides an online version of the Failte Ireland bi-monthly publication “Ireland of the Welcomes” magazine. Articles are archived and are easily searchable. The website also provides online subscription and links to various sites including the RTA’s.

• www.tourismireland.com - this website is the official website of Tourism Ireland the new cross-border national tourism agency. It is aimed at promoting Ireland to overseas tourists and provides a wealth of information such as ‘holiday planner’ and practical information for tourists. Information on Co. Clare is limited.

• www.discoverireland.ie - This website provides an online tourism guide to the domestic tourism market. Clare is well featured in the range of listings, from activity breaks to special offers provided.

There are also individual websites devoted to golf, angling, walking, heritage, language learning and festivals. Overall, the activities of Fáilte Ireland are important to the promotional efforts of County Clare. Clare’s profile in Fáilte Ireland’s websites and in its other promotional publications is important from an exposure point of view. However, it is not possible for a county to influence the promotional activities of Failte Ireland in a feasible manner. All promotional material utilised by Failte Ireland for promotional activities is attained through the various RTA’s. It would be worthwhile ensuring that the RTA’s have current and up-to-date information on the county in this regard. E.g. photographic material. 3.4.2 Shannon Development Shannon Development was established in 1959 to promote economic development within the economically disadvantaged Shannon region. In fulfilling this broader economic development brief, Shannon Development has dedicated substantial effort and resources to the promotion of tourism in the region. There are four main pillars to Shannon Development’s activities in the tourism sector.

1. Tourism Product Development,

2. Tourism Product Marketing

3. Visitor Services

4. Shannon Heritage

The Product Development Unit of Shannon Development is responsible for developing large-scale, long-term sustainable projects capable of increasing the


number of tourists visiting the Region. The unit identifies investment opportunities for investors and provides advice to the industry on likely sources of grant support and on tax incentives. It also offers a special service to facilitate investment into the sector. The company has in the past also invested (in an ad hoc manner) in the development of certain large-scale regional development projects. For example, Bunratty Folk Park Doonbeg golfing development In 2004, Shannon Development has expressed its intention to research international trends in order to identify at least one innovative project of a scale similar to the Doonbeg Golf course. It is intended that this project will attend to a need in the current product profile of the Shannon region. This new project is currently being researched and no specific information is available as to what it may entail. The core business of the Visitor Services Unit is to provide information services through a network of tourist information offices. Clare offices currently operated by Shannon Development include Shannon Airport (year-round), Ennis (year-round), Cliffs of Moher, Killaloe, Kilkee and Kilrush. Due to inefficiencies in the operation of a Tourist office network as a means for providing tourist information, Shannon Development are currently investigating the possibilities of developing a supplementary system of ‘licensed information points’. The licensed information points would be smaller information centres strategically placed at key locations around the region. The aim of the Tourism Product Marketing Team is to encourage visitors to stay longer and to spend more time in the area, particularly during non-peak times. Thus Unit works in partnership with the key tourism interests in the region initiating, supporting and, where necessary, co-ordinating promotional efforts to develop both overseas and domestic tourism. An example of the work of the Product Marketing Unit is the development of the new Shannon region Tourism ‘Forum’ which brings together various members of golfing, angling, hotel, walking, equestrian, restaurant, vintners industries with members of the local authorities and Shannon Airport in order to co-ordinate marketing activities within the region. Shannon Heritage is a wholly owned commercial subsidiary of Shannon Development and is one of the largest operators of heritage products in Europe. The Shannon Heritage portfolio includes 13 products: 9 day visitor experiences and 4 evening entertainments, some of which lie outside Co. Clare. The four evening entertainments include:

- Bunratty Castle, Bunratty, Co. Clare - Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara, Co. Galway - Knappogue Castle, Quin Co. Clare - Irish Night at Bunratty Folk Park, Co. Clare

The nine visitor attractions include:

- Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare; - Bunratty Folk Park, Co. Clare - Knappogue Castle, Co. Clare; - Craggaunowen – the Living Past, Co. Clare;


- King Johns Castle, Limerick City; - The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre and O’Briens Tower, Co. Clare; - The Brian Ború Heritage Centre, Killaloe, Co. Clare; - The Lough Gur Stone-age centre, Co. Limerick - Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara, Co. Galway.

Over 475,000 people visited Shannon Heritage day visitor attractions in 2002 and over 105,000 people attended their evening entertainments in the same period. Bunratty Castle & Folk Park attracts an average of 350,000 visitors per annum 3.4.2.1 Promotional Activities Previous studies have indicated that the promotional activities of Shannon Development are held in high regard by overseas tour operators and travel writers (TDI 1997). A review of Shannon Development publications and promotional activities shows that a significant (if not disproportionate) amount of coverage is given to the attractions throughout in Co. Clare. This reflects the strength of the tourism product existing within the county. However, the commitment of Shannon Development is primarily to the region and secondarily to the counties within it. Shannon Development, in general, tends to promote product rather than place and has stated its intent to increase profiling and marketing focus on the River Shannon, Lough Derg and the Burren district in the coming year. It is also incorporating dispersal initiatives into its marketing activities. For example, the new “Western Regions” publication in conjunction with Ireland-West and Northwest features a ‘hidden gems’ section, which points visitors towards the less well-known attractions in the region. The ‘Daily Adventure’ visitors’ guide is to become a ‘top attractions’ guide featuring a wide range of attractions. Also, new ‘attractions’ poster maps will be created and dispersed to accommodation providers throughout the region. In the coming period, Shannon Development aims to support the promotion of a number of specific tourism projects of scale in the county: • Lough Derg International Watermark • Lisdoonvarna Health Spa • Tourism Development Strategy for the Burren • Regional Walking Trails Programme International Promotion In the forthcoming year Shannon Development will attend over forty trade fairs and exhibitions worldwide. Trade fairs are targeted either by market or tourist attractions and activities. Over forty trade fairs due to be attended in the forthcoming year correspond with both new and established routes in Shannon Airport and represent important potential markets. For example: • Dutch Holiday Fair will be attended in January due to the strong charter (DeJong)

and scheduled services (Skynet) from Amsterdam to Shannon. • Manchester Holiday Show is a large consumer holiday fair. There are currently

scheduled flights to Shannon from Manchester.


• Go Fishing, Dublin, fair is due to be attended because of the strong angling product available in the Shannon Region

• Burghley Horse Trials, UK is to be attended in August. It is a special interest equestrian tournament

Other prominent events such as the Ryder Cup, and Smurfit European Open will be attended in order to market Co. Clare as a viable golfing destination. Outdoors, walking, coach tours, meetings and incentive, world travel market are all types of trade fairs due to be attended by Shannon Development. Domestic Promotion On a domestic level Shannon Development plan to attend Holiday Fairs in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, in 2004. They are also due to attend the: - National Game Fair, Birr - European Pike Angling, Lough Derg - National Ploughing Championships - Over 50s Show, Dublin Internet Shannon Development is currently reducing the amount of promotional literature it is producing and concentrating instead on developing an effective Internet strategy for the region. This will involve a detailed online presence providing detailed, regularly updated, and easily accessible information to tourist planning to visit the region. In 2004 Shannon Development intends to continue to develop and maintain the Shannon Region Tourism website (www.shannonregiontourism.ie) as part of a national initiative with Failte Ireland. Shannon Development intends to expand the content of the website and undertake profiling work in order to ensure a higher ranking of the website address amongst search engines on the Internet. However, from a County Clare perspective the current profile of the Shannon Development site amongst popular search engines is of some concern. The placement of a tourism site in this first page of search engines’ search result is vital for the attraction of website traffic. At the moment, basic searches such as; “visit Clare”, “Clare holidays”, “visit west Ireland”, “the Burren”, “tourists information for the Cliffs of Moher”, “accommodation in Clare”, fail to find the Shannon Development site in the top-ten listing (first page) of major search engines. While there is a wealth of information available on the Shannon Development website about Co. Clare, finding this information may be a problem for potential tourists. Apart from the website profiling work, Shannon Development has also developed a variety of marketing material and practices in order to successfully market the website itself e.g. min-brochures, website address on all future publications etc. Publicity In 2004 Shannon Development also intends to facilitate familiarisation trips with travel trade/ media and tour operators. Media visits, and frequent shopping centre promotions are also planned for 2004. Many of these in-store shopping centre promotions will be undertaken with part funding from the local tourism trade in the county.


Promotional Print Shannon Development has undertaken to reduce the amount of promotional print it is currently producing in favour of online promotional information. For example, it will no longer produce the “Shannon Region Travel Manual”, its main regional promotional brochure for use overseas. Despite this change in overall focus, Shannon Development is due to undertake a national brochure promotion that will include 320,000 brochures distributed with the Sunday Independent on January 25th. The RTA has also produced a new “Western Regions” publication in conjunction with Ireland-West and North-West. This cooperative publication, designed to create a larger impact on the international marketplace, represents all three regions and will be used for most promotional activities in the future. 3.4.2.2 Shannon Heritage - Promotional Activities Shannon Heritage has a specific marketing focus, which is to promote their products in the tourism market. A key pillar of Shannon Heritage’s promotional strategy is its attendance at important trade exhibitions. In 2004, Shannon Heritage will attend the following trade shows:

- Utrecht in Amsterdam - Holiday World Dublin & Cork - USA Seminars - Group & Leisure Fair in Manchester or Birmingham - Flavours of Ireland in the UK - World Travel Market in London - Tourism Ireland/Failte Ireland Workshops - Coach & Bus Fair in the UK - Canadian Workshops in Canada

Trade shows in France and Germany are also being considered. Shannon Heritage also undertakes PR activity, produces three types of brochure, and advertises in a wide variety of trade and industry magazines and newspapers. 3.4.2.3 Conclusion The promotional methods utilised by Shannon Development are intertwined effectively and synergetic. For example, current promotional literature carries promotional information for the RTA website and visa versa. Interviews with Shannon Development reveal that they have developed close working relations with other RTA’s. The RTA marketing plan incorporates flexibility to facilitate changes during annual implementation. The promotional literature produced is both ascetically pleasing and content-rich and heavily features tourism products from County Clare. However, in relation to County Care, Shannon Development is not specifically focused on the development of tourism in the county. Rather, it adopts a regional perspective in its promotional activities. Also, there is currently no mechanism by


which County tourism promotional efforts of Shannon Development are influenced by the local county council. Shannon Heritage is a private-limited, profit-oriented company. However, while the company is responsible for marketing some of the largest heritage attractions in County Clare, there is little linkage between these large attractions and smaller heritage attractions around the county. 3.4.3 Clare County Council Since the early 1990s Clare County Council has been increasingly involved in the development of the tourism sector in the county and several important initiatives were undertaken in that period. In 1997, for example, the council prepared the County Tourism Marketing Strategy, which did not progress as planned primarily due to difficulties in attracting funding from the private sector. Despite this setback, tourism development has remained a priority for the council and the Clare county development strategy contains tourism relation actions. The strategic aim of the council in relation to tourism is to create “the sustainable and balanced development of tourism that optimises economic potential and contributes to the quality of life in County Clare”. A key focus of this strategy is not only to increase visitor numbers but also to prolong their stay and increase the revenue generated. In order to achieve these objectives, Clare County Council are heavily involved in several tourism related actions to be carried out in the framework of the strategy, including:

• An audit of tourism infrastructure, including rural areas, the details of which can be used to benchmark against other counties

• The preparation of a county tourism strategy that focuses the needs of small accommodation providers and that includes community-based tourism initiatives, area-based management plans and rural spread.

• An assessment of the possibility of including representation from the community and tourism sectors on regional and national tourism development bodies.

In addition to these strategic activities, the council is currently involved in developing a number of major tourism projects at the Cliffs of Moher and Lough Derg. The council is examining ways to improve the management of the Burren and is centrally involved in the development of the “Live the Life” initiative. The County Council also provides significant support and financial backing to:

- The Mid Clare and East Clare Walking routes, - Kilkee Waterworld, and Lahinch Seaworld, - Burren Way Walking Route - Shannon Leisure Centre - Vandeleur Walled Garden in Kilrush - County Museum - Glór Irish Music Centre - Burren Centre, Kilfenora


- Ennis Leisure Centre. 3.4.3.1 Conclusion The research conducted reveals that many tourism providers within the county feel that the County Council has an important role to play in the development of tourism within the county. Several issues arose from this study in relation to the County Council: • Signage – one of the largest issues uncovered during the coarse of this research

is the opinion of the tourism trade that there is a distinct lack of proper signage in the county for directing tourists.

• Communication – another relevant issue expressed by the tourism trade was that there is a lack of communication between the county council and the tourism trade. This is due to the fact that there is no single department within the County Council to which the tourism trade can approach on a variety of tourism-related issues regarding signage, local pollution and rubbish, road disrepair etc. Many of these issues relate to the upkeep of the wider tourism product in the County which has an important influence on the effectiveness of tourism promotional methods adopted.

In relation to the promotional activities of the council itself, Clare County Council does not have a specified tourism promotion section within council structures and therefore tourism promotion activity is limited. However, Kilrush Town Council currently employ a Marketing & Development Officer for the Kilrush area with a limited tourism focus and limited budget with regard to tourism promotion. 3.4.4 Clare Tourism Partnership The Clare Tourism Partnership was a once off, ad hoc partnership formed to develop the 'Live the Life' initiative and consists of collaboration between Clare County Council, Shannon Development, Ennis Town Council, Clare County Development Board, Clare Tourism Council and Ennis Chamber of Commerce. The 'Live the Life' initiative seeks to encourage local communities to develop marketing initiatives which encourage tourists to sample a 'Clare experience' while visiting the county. These experiences can vary from going to a rural pub, a traditional music session or local GAA match. Ultimately, the goal of the programme is to bring more tourists to County Clare, encourage them to stay longer and visit more parts of the county. The initiative will be implemented through training and awareness building amongst communities who will participate in the scheme. It will also implement a special promotional campaign in key markets. 3.4.4.1 Conclusion Initial feasibility studies have been undertaken and the initiative is in the early stages of applying for funding and arranging cross-regional networking structures. The concept behind the initiative is innovative and interesting. It is not possible at this stage to predict the success of the programme. 3.4.5 Clare Tourism Council


Clare Tourist Council has been actively involved in the promotion of Co. Clare as a quality tourist destination since 1961. The Tourism Council is an organisation which includes representation from across the industry; including members of the trade, Shannon Development and Clare County Council. Clare Tourist Council has recently developed a structured Tourism Marketing Plan, in which the main promotional activity undertaken is attendance at Trade Fairs. Trade fairs have been attended in Brussels, and the Hague but the annual Trade Fair in Milwaukee, in the United States, is the most notable. Funding for attendance at the Milwaukee trade fair is generated from an annual seminar in tourism organised by Clare Tourist Council in partnership with Clare County Council. The success of the November 2003 Conference has enabled Clare Tourist Council to develop a website for the county, which should be online in August 2004. 3.4.6 Rural Resource Development (RRD) – LEADER LEADER national resource development funding has been very influential in developing the tourism infrastructure within Co. Clare. RRD has supported particular rural and agri-tourism projects, which have been influential in distributing the benefits of tourism toward rural areas. Examples of tourism-related LEADER funding projects include: • Caherconnell Stone Fort Visitor Centre - A grant of €55,000 was approved for the

development of a visitor centre to interpret the stone forts of North Clare. • Corofin Boat Hire - A grant of €8,180 was approved towards the acquisition of

seven new boats to service the angling and tourism market in the Corofin area. • The East Burren Way Walking Development Group – A grant of €22,000 was

approved to link the Burren Way and the Mid-Clare Way at two locations creating a circular route.

RRD also contributed funding towards the development of caravan parks, heritage centres, angling, agri-tourism training courses, music festivals and feasibility study for the "Clare Live the Life" initiative. 3.4.6.1 Conclusion RRD is not a tourism promotion agency and it does not have a specific tourism remit, as such. However as indicated above LEADER funding can be used for tourism promotional activities which fall within the remit of RRD funding policy. For example, in co-operation with Shannon Development and Clare County Enterprise Board, Clare LEADER recently contributed to the development of a “Clare Good Food Circle Guide” for the year 2004-2004 which is used in the promotion of local restaurants. Opportunities may exist in the future for tourism promotion related funding from the Leader programme 3.4.7 Clare Heritage Circle


The Clare Heritage Circle involves a recently established network of heritage centres which was formed to protect, enhance and promote the heritage assets of the county. Members of this countywide network include:

- Clare Museum - The Corofin Genealogy Centre - The Burren Centre - East Clare Heritage Centre - Lahinch Seaworld - Dysert O’Dea Castle - Vandeleur Walled Garden - Shannon Dolphins Kilrush

Promotional activities of the Circle are financed by Clare County Council, the Heritage Council and Clare Museum and include:

- Development of booklet containing promotional information regarding the attractions at each of the network member’s location.

- This booklet also contained a “heritage trail” which enabled tourists to map their way around the county visiting various heritage sites. A ‘joint discount’ system has also been implemented at each centre encouraging visitors to visit more than one location.

- Eight showcases have also been purchased and will be used as a promotional and cooperative display tool.

3.4.7.1 Conclusion County Clare has a wealth of heritage related tourism sites that are not promoted through the regional organisation, Shannon Heritage. The Clare Heritage Circle is an example of a cooperative network of local actors who have come together with the aim of promoting heritage in the locality. County Clare has now an established network that can be contacted and incorporated in future promotional work. 3.4.8 Tourism Promotion Methods Utilised by the Trade A telephone survey was undertaken to evaluate the promotional techniques most prominently used within the tourism trade in Co. Clare. Of the 90 tourism businesses randomly contacted, 33 agreed to a telephone interview. The main areas of business of the 33 respondents can be broken down as follows: Table 3.4: Respondents to Telephone Survey Number Percentage (%) B&Bs 12 36% Dolphin Watching 2 6% Equestrian 3 9% Walking tours 1 3% Golf Clubs 3 9% Boat trips 3 9% Angling 1 3% Adventure centres 1 3% Hotels 5 15% Others 3 9%


For 46% of respondents, the production of promotional literature was the single most expensive item in their marketing budget. While interviewees found promotional print a necessary promotional tool, many also stated that there was often wastage through over-production, duplication etc. Due to this wastage, many members of the tourism trade were now using promotional print in more carefully targeted ways. Promotional print was followed by advertisement (in newspapers, magazines, etc.), which for 36% percent of respondents was the largest item of promotional expenditure. While only large businesses utilised trade fairs as a promotional methods, trade fairs while expensive, were found to be effective for word-of-mouth and networking rather than generating direct sales. Public relations, and the development of websites were found to be highly cost-effective due to the relatively low cost of utilising these promotional methods. 3.4.8.1 Advertising Newspapers and magazines proved to be the most widely used form of advertising amongst the trade in County Clare. Although twenty-four percent of interviewees regularly use newspaper/magazine advertising, it was considered to be of only medium cost-effectiveness (3 on scale of 1-5). In particular, the cost of placing ads in newspapers and magazines was found to be prohibitive, especially for smaller operators.

Advertisement within the Trade (%)

24

8

20

1

6

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Advertising Method

Newspaper/ MagazinesRadioOutdoor AdvertisingTelevisionDirect Mail

The choice of newspaper/magazine was considered important in maximising the return on advertising. Advertising niche products in niche magazines is considered to be the most effective method of advertising. Twenty percent of participants stated that they are reconsidering their advertising expenditure due to poor returns to date. This indicates that a significant proportion of the trade is becoming increasingly disillusioned by the cost of advertising. The advent of the Internet as a cheaper and more controllable form of advertising may also be a contributing factor to this. B&Bs and small tourism businesses are more likely to advertise in local papers, and in various specialised tourism publications such as “Discover Ireland”. The ‘Golden Pages’ national directory was perceived to be a particularly effective place for B&Bs to advertise. Larger tourism business such as hotels and large attractions took a wide variety of adverts in publications such as local and national papers and product magazines. The next most popular form of advertising was billboards and signage. Twenty percent of tourism businesses use this promotional method and found it on average


only to be of medium cost-effectiveness. Again, billboards and signage were most commonly used by larger businesses. Television was found to be a very inefficient form of tourism promotion and received a very poor cost-effective rating. The funding required to sustain a television advertising campaign is prohibitive and consequently a very small minority of the trade in County Clare uses television. Radio is a similarly uncommon form of advertising and is also considered not to be cost-effectiveness. Although not widely used throughout the industry, direct mail was found to be a very cost-effective form of advertising. Twenty percent of respondents, mainly large tourism business and organisations, had used direct mail. Direct mail was found to be highly effective when targeted at previous customers, members or subscribers. Golf clubs, for example, found direct mail to be very effective when targeting previous customers and members Seventy percent of participants mentioned word-of-mouth as an inexpensive but important method of advertisement, which can only be influenced by improving the quality of the service/experience provided. Word-of-mouth is especially within the accommodation sector with some B&B’s relying on it almost completely for the promotion of their business. 3.4.8.2 Publicity Publicity is the act of using the media to generate news stories in local, domestic and international press, which attracts attention to a company, product, person, or event in order to publicise or increase the profile of the business. In general, only medium and large tourism businesses incorporated public relations exercises in order to generate promotion and no B&Bs were found to engage in PR activities. On average twenty five percent of all respondents had generated some form of publicity for their business and, in general terms, it was found to be a highly cost-effective means of promotion (2 on a scale of 1-5). A small percentage (6%) of large tourism businesses have hired Public Relations companies especially for the purpose of publicity. Sponsorship of events and regular contact with local press and media are the two most common forms of publicity. Niche or luxury products (golf course, angling waters, luxury hotels) found it very beneficial to be recommended in a trade of travel magazine. One participant stated:

“Publicity is an excellent form of tourism promotion because it’s a means of providing 3rd party credibility for the product. Also it is very inexpensive.”

3.4.8.3 Promotional Print Ninety percent of all respondents produced some promotional print for their business, usually in the form of business cards or brochures. For B&Bs, brochures are much less popular with the majority of them relying instead on promotional cards. These cards are left in the lobby or bedrooms of the B&Bs and are distributed by customers. They are also distributed to local attractions, tourist offices, hotels and tourist attractions in the area. These cards are inexpensive and more easily distributed than flyers.


Several B&Bs rely solely on word-of-mouth, repeat business, location, the Internet or all three. Outside of B&Bs, the use of brochures for promotional purposes within the tourism trade is extremely prominent. These brochures tend to be distributed at tourism exhibitions, at tourist offices, in hotels, and at local attractions. Brochures are generally considered to be a significant business expense and twenty three percent of large businesses now produce two different brochures:

• A cheaper economy ‘flyer’ for general promotional activities • A ‘glossy’ brochure for limited promotion

Promotional print received a good cost-effectiveness (3 on a scale of 1-5) rating, especially from those who relied on promotional business cards and similar low-cost productions. 3.4.8.4 Guidebooks Fifty-six percent of interviewees are featured in a tourism-related guidebook. Overall, guidebook profiling was considered a cost-effective method of tourism promotion by the trade in Co. Clare. This finding is consistent with Failte Ireland data, which shows that seventeen percent of overseas visitors to Ireland were influenced to do so following consultation with guidebooks. Forty percent all visitors to Ireland in 2002 used guidebooks in the planning of their holidays (Second only to the internet on 41%). As many survey respondents explained, publication in a guidebook is an important promotional tool because it often provides a third party endorsement of the destination or product being promoted. Examples of effective guidebooks mentioned by participants included: • Be Our Guest • Discover Ireland • Lonely Planet • Rough Guide • Irish Bed & Breakfast guidebooks published in America, France, Italy, Germany,

UK were cited as very effective publications for attracting overseas tourists. Our discussions with representatives of the “Lonely Planet” and “Rough Guide” publications confirmed that it is possible for local tourism promoters to influence their profile in these publications. A carefully prepared submission about the destination should be sent to the editor of the guidebook. The editor assesses the application for coverage and travel journalists are sent to the destinations with the most appealing submission. 3.4.8.5 Trade Fairs/Exhibitions Forty six percent of participants attend trade shows as part of their promotional efforts. No B&B’s interviewed attend trade fairs. The cost-effectiveness of trade exhibitions as a means of tourism promotion is difficult to quantify. In general respondents felt that trade fairs are useful for generating word-of-mouth and awareness but not really a means for generating direct sales.


Attendance at trade fairs can be quite costly and only large tourism businesses attend trade exhibitions by themselves. Many tourism businesses choose to attend either as part of a trade group, with Shannon Development or Failte Ireland. 3.4.8.6 Internet The use of the Internet in tourism promotion has grown rapidly in the last decade. In 2002, twenty percent of all holidaymakers were influenced in their decision to visit Ireland by the Internet and forty one percent of all holidaymakers used the Internet in planning their holiday in Ireland (Failte Ireland, 2002). In response to these trends, there has been a large increase in the number of tourism businesses investing in Internet technology in County Clare. As a means of promotion the Internet is utilised by both large and small businesses Fifty four percent of B&Bs interviewed have their information on the Internet. Thirty six percent of B&Bs post their accommodation information on third party tourism sites and eighteen percent of B&Bs have their own personal website. Amongst the B&Bs interviewed (with information posted online) Internet bookings accounted for between 20% and 90% of total business. The large variation in this figure is due to the popularity of the Internet site utilised. Eighty two percent of medium to large-sized tourism business have established personal website. Eighteen percent have created their own site but have contributed their information to the RTA’s site or to other tourism websites. None of the medium to large sized tourism businesses had failed to establish some form of web presence. Hotels and other tourist attractions have recorded noticeable increases in business and bookings over the Internet e.g. the development of online booking by one hotelier saw an increase of 5-6% in business per annum. Interviewees found the Internet a highly cost-effective promotional method. 3.4.8.7 Promotional Budget Promotional budgets varied substantially depending on the type, size and revenue of the tourism business. On average, B&Bs’ promotional budgets ranged between €1,000-€3,000. Small tourism businesses on average spent between €3,000 and €5,000, while larger attractions and tourism business spent in the region of €40,000- €300,000 3.4.8.8 Establishing a Promotional Fund Fifty three percent of participants interviewed stated they would be willing to contribute to a tourism promotional fund for the county and twenty percent answered, “they did not know”. Only twenty three percent of respondents said they would not be willing to contribute to a promotional fund. The majority of participants who were interested in contributing to a promotional fund stated that contributing to any fund would be conditional on: • Obtaining assurances about the management of the fund, • Obtaining information regarding the specific use of the money, • The benefit a funding contribution would have for their business.


In general, members of the trade felt that this money would be better spent in the domestic market due to the funding required to significantly impact an international market.


Chapter 4: Best Practice in Tourism Promotion This chapter examines a number of tourism promotion initiatives, both from abroad and within Ireland, in an attempt to identify best practices for future promotion of Co. Clare as a tourism destination. The best practices selected here provide us with a variety of experiences in promoting a local destination on a limited budget. These experiences range from newly emerging tourist destinations like Meath or Kildare, to more traditional destinations like West Cork. 4.1 Meath Tourism In general terms, Meath is rarely considered as a prime tourist destination in the Irish context. Despite an abundance of tourism attractions (salmon and trout rivers, the Royal site at the Hill of Tara, monastic houses, Irish language facilities, Newgrange, Fairyhouse racecourse, etc.), the volume of tourists staying extended periods in the county has traditionally been low. This is beginning to change and the change coincided with the establishment of Meath Tourism Limited, which was established to promote County Meath as Ireland’s Heritage Capital and as a quality tourist destination, nine years ago. Total staff consists of one employee who is employed by Meath County Council to undertake all promotional activities for the county. Meath Tourism prioritised the formation of long-term relationships with the tourism industry within the county. According to Meath Tourism, generating funding is a difficult task that is made easier by building contacts within the industry. Meath Tourism is the beneficiary of substantial funding and support from Meath County Council that enables a wide variety of promotional activities. The company’s budget is in the region of €200,000 per annum, (including the salary of the tourism promotion officer with the company). In addition to the contributions of the County Council, funding is generated from a number of other sources including: • The tourism industry co-funds all marketing activities • Contributions from other major beneficiaries of tourism, including retailers,

banks, service enterprises, etc. • Sponsorship from major firms and employers in the county • Marketing and employment grant support available from EU funding agencies

such as LEADER and INTERREG The company is responsible for promoting greater cohesion and co-operation within the industry in order to make more efficient use of marketing funds and to provide a more balanced spread of tourism activity throughout the County. This is done through the creation of packages within the county to lead to more visitors to the county for longer. For example, Meath Tourism coordinated the production of a “Golfing in Meath” brochure by various golf clubs around the county. Also in co-operation with Meath Tourism these clubs now attend events such as the East Coast Golf Classic and


attend specific golf trade and consumer shows and advertise in the Jameson Golfers Guide to Ireland brochure. 4.1.1 Training Meath Tourism co-ordinates and organises training for members of the tourism trade by using LEADER funding. Courses delivered to date include: - Hospitality Skills - Festival development & promotion - B&B Internet training - Local knowledge familiarisation trips where participants on the training course

visit various attractions and tourism activities in the county with a view to enhancing awareness of the range of activities within the county and establishing co-operation between tourism businesses

- Front Office management and Customer Service Skills 4.1.2 Promotional Activities The majority of promotional activities are not undertaken unless they are supported by the industry. Current promotional activities include: 4.1.2.1 Promotional Print Meath Tourism is currently reducing the amount of promotional print being produced due a perceived low cost-effectiveness and high wastage. Current publications include: • A Meath County Guide, which includes contact information for accommodation,

entertainment, activities and attractions in the county • Business cards promoting www.meathtourism.ie for use at international shows.

Experience at European travel trade fairs has shown that visitors are reluctant to take print material due to the weight of paper that can be accumulated at such events and because of genuine environmental concerns.

• A "Lets Eat out" guide to the Meath Good Food Circle, which has resulted in increased business for those restaurants featured in the Circle

• Golfing in Meath, Meath Gardens, Meath Crafts and Meath Heritage Trail publications.

4.1.2.2 Advertising In general, advertising is only carried out if it is supported by the tourism industry within the county. Some sectoral groups cooperate to advertise packages in various trade publications and this is organised by Meath Tourism. Meath Tourism has also undertaken a national and local radio advertising campaign. Billboard advertising is also secured through corporate sponsorship. Meath Tourism generally operate on the principle that all advertising activity should be linked to specific product offers with coupons used to encourage interested consumers to respond using the Meath Tourism free-phone number or by email.


4.1.2.3 Publicity Meath Tourism works to increase the profile of the county through the development of relationships with the media. Familiarisation visits are organised for journalists, feature writers and newspaper editors and special interest magazines. There are several instances of innovative publicity techniques employed by Meath Tourism. For example the Meath Good Food Circle offers dinner for two on a ‘restaurant review’ section of the Meath Chronicle, once per month. Meath Tourism also organised and publicised a competition whereby children in local primary schools were asked to design a school tour in the county. This competition was organised in conjunction with local sponsors. 4.1.2.4 Internet Promotion Meath Tourism, after a substantial investment, recently re-launched their Internet site (http://www.meathtourism.ie/). The site effectively operates as a virtual tourist office and receives visits from up to 3,600 visitors weekly. The site is also featured on the main County Council site, which provides hosting and IT support. The tourism promotion officer and IT personnel have the skills necessary to provide daily updates of information regarding the county's tourism products and services including entertainment etc. All members of the tourism industry are asked to promote the website by becoming linked to it. The recently redeveloped website, www.meathtourism.com, cost in the region of €10,000 to develop with running costs for the year around €10,000. This ‘branded’ site incorporates databases, (which allow accommodation and food and drink searches), downloadable brochures, as well as detailed information on the tourist activities and attractions of the county. 4.1.2.5 Trade Exhibitions Meath Tourism participates in a range of workshops, fairs and promotions in their major target markets, which include Britain, North America and mainland Europe and domestically, Dublin and the rest of Leinster. They have found that this form of promotional activity enables promotion directly to the consumer and, at the same time, increases in the county's profile in target markets both nationally and internationally. In most cases, Meath Tourism shares the RTA’s stand in target market locations. 4.2 Mayo Naturally Mayo Naturally Limited is responsible for the promotion of County Mayo as a quality tourist destination. The origins of the company trace back to 1992 when Mayo 5000 was formed to develop a tourism programme for County Mayo and in particular the Ceide Fields. Following the success of Mayo 5000 the decision was taken to form Mayo Naturally limited, which would have a broader ‘county tourism promotion’ remit and would use the promotional catchphrase: “mayo naturally”. Mayo Naturally acts as a coordination mechanism within the county, coordinating the activities of trade, county council and RTA. Within Mayo, the company is seen as the marketing wing of the county council in addition to being the RTA presence within


the county. This has resulted in a close working relationships being formed between all those involved in the promotion of Mayo as a quality tourism destination. This cohesion of marketing effort has been crucial to the success of the company. The level of the cohesion is also exhibited in the staffing arrangements. Mayo Naturally is a uniquely structured company in that no full-time staff is employed. The Managing Director of Mayo Naturally Ltd is seconded from Ireland West and the company secretary is employed part-time. Despite the part-time nature of the position, the company secretary undertakes much of the promotional and co-ordination work of the company. It is the experience of Mayo Naturally that this low staff and low administration cost has been an important factor in their long-term survival. The total annual budget of Mayo Naturally for 2004 is in the region of €160,000. Mayo County Council donates the majority of this funding. Ireland West also provides funds for specific promotional activities that are in line with the promotional activities for the region. LEADER funding is also available but only for specific promotional activities that are consistent with LEADER strategy. Very little funding is received from the trade within the county. 4.2.1 Promotional Activities The majority of promotional activities of the company are focused within the domestic market and they include: • Advertising campaigns – In 2004, Mayo Naturally will have an extensive

domestic market press advertising. This will be undertaken both independently and in co-operation with Ireland West tourism.

• Exhibitions – Mayo Naturally will attend a variety of trade fairs with a view to raising the county's profile. Mayo Naturally attends up to 30 exhibitions and promotions each year both domestically and internationally, in most cases taking advantage of the stands of Ireland West and Failte Ireland.

• Publicity – Innovative promotional campaigns have also been developed. For example, a “Taxi” campaign whereby Mayo Naturally will have 10 fully wrapped Mayo branded taxis in Dublin city is designed to increase to number of country break tourists from the capital.

• Promotional Print – Mayo Naturally does not produce a large amount of promotional literature. They have made inputs into the content and layout of the "Mayo Magazine" which is produced by Ireland West, and this is used as their main print piece.

Mayo Naturally also has an online presence at www.vistimayo.com. Mayo Naturally is currently considering whether there is a need to redevelop the website. Currently, the site provides a variety of information to tourists including: • Information on heritage and cultural attractions within the county • Activities to be undertaken whilst visiting the county – the site provides a brief

description of the various activities and links the names of the various activities into the text of the web page. This is an effective and easy means of providing tourists with access to a greater depth of information.


• A regularly updated “Special Offers” section. • A ‘package holiday’ section. This page lists a variety of packages e.g. “The one

week walking experience”, “The angling experience” etc. These are all-inclusive pricing for week long, package holidays, to the county

• Access to accommodation information. This is done by linking the site with the Ireland West tourism website (www.westireland.travel.ie) where an in-depth listing of accommodation is provided. Databases are an expensive feature on other tourism promotion company websites, and this ‘linking’ is a relatively inexpensive means of providing searchable accommodation information.

• A “How to get here” page, which provides directions to County Mayo for overseas tourists

4.3 West Cork Tourism West Cork Tourism Limited has been established nearly twenty years and its board consists of representation from the tourism industry together with representatives from Cork & Kerry Tourism, Bord Fáilte, Cork County Council and West Cork LEADER Co-op. West Cork Tourism has one full time employee and two part-time employees. The majority of funding for staff wages and promotional activities is derived from membership fees. Members of the local tourism trade pay a membership fee in the range of €100 to €570 depending on the size of business. There are currently about four hundred members. For this fee, members are included in West Cork Tourism publications, listed on the West Cork Tourism website and provided with a regular electronic newsletter. The newsletter is a recent development and is used to keep members fully informed on tourism issues as they arise e.g. industry statistics and forecasts, changes in tourism related legislation, new tourism exhibitions etc.

Cork County Council and LEADER also contribute funding to the activities of West Cork Tourism.

4.3.1 Promotional Activities

One of the primary activities of West Cork Tourism is to act as a co-ordinator of the promotional activity within the West Cork area. However, the company also undertakes its own promotional activities including the development and maintenance of the West Cork Tourism website (www.westcork.ie). This website provides a comprehensive list of tourism activities and attractions in the area. Accommodation providers, restaurants and members of the retail trade are also listed. Its use of ‘clickable’ maps is an innovative means for tourists to plan their stay in the region. The website also provides an online annual calendar of events.

West Cork Tourism publishes a holiday activities brochure, golf brochure and conference brochure for the region. These are distributed at major trade and consumer fairs, which are attended both individually and with Cork Kerry tourism. West Cork tourism is also responsible for organising information evenings, where members of the trade showcase their products to members of the public. It has also organised the annual ‘International Walking Festival’, developed a photo library for media use and facilitated familiarisation visits by members of the media.


4.4 Galway East Tourism Galway East Tourism was established in October 2001 to promote the eastern region of Galway. With Galway City and Connemara together accounting for up to 80% of all tourism to the county, local tourism interests in Eastern Galway recognised the lack of dispersal in the benefits of tourism within the county. Currently Galway East Tourism has one member of staff and funding for her salary and promotional activities is generated through a variety of sources including the Failte Ireland Product Development Scheme (funding for the dispersal of tourism less traditional areas), Galway County Council, and LEADER funding (donated on a project by project basis). Galway East has also established a web presence (http://www.galwayeast.com/), which was recently developed and cost in the region of €5,000. The site is well developed and acts as a source of information for tourists who want to visit the east Galway region. The site offers a range of information including: • Packages – a variety of packages have been created with the co-operation of the

trade. These packages are advertised on the website and include, activity holidays to the region, seven day cycling packages, seven day equestrian packages, mini two day gourmet holidays to the region, fishing packages and family packages to the region.

• Accommodation listings – which lists accommodation in the region under various categorise such as B&B, hotels, self-catering etc

• Information about the region – a complete listing of the activities, attractions, heritage and cultural sites available in the region

4.5 Kildare Failte Kildare Failte was incorporated as a private limited company in 1993-1994. It employs one member of staff who is the ‘tourism marketing manager’ for the county. The board of directors is twenty-strong and consists of local town councillors, members of the trade and representatives from the county council and the RTA. Kildare County Council provides the majority of the funding necessary for Kildare Failte activities and provided funding in the region of €70,000 in 2003. A further €16,000 was raised from membership fees and LEADER funding is also available for specific projects. Kildare Failte is responsible for the implementation of the recommendations and guidelines outlined in the report “A Framework for Action” prepared by the Kildare Tourism Task Force which sets out a framework for the development of the tourism sector in County Kildare for the period 2002 to 2006. These recommendations suggested the application of new technology to the tourism industry in Kildare, the development of a coordinated marketing approach, and the enhancement of relationships and links with neighbouring counties.


4.5.1 Promotional Activities 4.5.1.1 Public Relations Kildare Failte organise familiarisation trips for members of tourism related media and have, over time, developed relationships with local, national and international media. Specific members of the media are targeted, including travel writers, editors from national newspapers, journalists from travel magazines, etc. 4.5.1.2 Internet Promotion Currently Kildare Failte is located at the county council website (www.kildare.ie.). Within this county council site, Kildare Failte is based in a separate tourism section of the site (www.kildare.ie/touristguide/index.asp), which can be linked to from the main page. The website provides a large amount of information such as accommodation listings, attractions, things to do, events listings, useful information for travelling to the county and links to the websites of towns and villages around the county. An innovative feature of the website is the ability to take heritage, waterways, activities and equestrian virtual tours online. Any tourist visiting the site can view video images of the various attractions available in the county. The site also incorporates a ‘tourism forum’, which allows members of the tourism industry and tourists to discuss tourism in County Kildare by posting messages on an online board. This provides a useful means of monitoring opinions on tourism within the county. However, at the moment this service appears to be under-utilised by tourists and trade members alike. Kildare Failte plans to redesign the website in the coming year. Kildare Failte are hoping to establish a tourism website independent of the council online address but still use the county council technology facilities. It is hoped that such a new address would allow increased profile amongst search engines and a greater number of tourists visiting the site. 4.5.1.3 Promotional Print Kildare Failte also produce a county Kildare tourism brochure entitled “Kildare – the Thoroughbred County”. This is distributed with East Coast & Midlands at tourism exhibitions at domestic and international trade fairs market. Kildare Failte state that a good working relationship with the local RTA (East Coast & Midlands) is key to effectively marketing County Kildare and this is especially important in the international market where a coordinated approach to promotion is essential. 4.6 Philadelphia In recent years, Philadelphia has profited enormously from renewed attention and resources devoted to marketing the region as a tourist destination. Prior to 1995, there had been almost no marketing by Philadelphia for tourism purposes. Since the formation of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) and as a result of their marketing campaign visitors to Philadelphia are now spending more and staying longer. The resources available to GPTMC for the marketing of the Philadelphia region are much larger than could be generated in County Clare. However, Philadelphia is an example of a successfully marketed region and there are


several examples good practice and promotional activities that can be considered on a smaller scale. 4.6.1 Promotional Activities GPTMC has created several ‘packages’ of products, which have been effectively marketed in the promotion of the area. For example, the “Philly’s more fun when you Sleep Over” campaign aimed at boosting short-break tourism to the region. Philadelphia, like county Clare, saw itself as adequately positioned to benefit from packaging because of the large variety of tourism experiences the region offers. GPTMC proactively looks to generate cooperative programs, and actively seeks out cross-promotion opportunities within the tourism sector. Specifically, GPTMC has a Grant Programme, which concentrates on working together with the tourism industry to co-ordinate advertising effort amongst tourism operators. In addition, GPTMC works closely with the neighbouring New Jersey region in order to offer additional product for tourists coming to the area. GPTMC has established partnerships with the media nurturing a database of 3,000 media contacts. A photography and video library was created to serve as a resource for the media as well as for non-profit organisations throughout the region. GPTMC has positioned itself to benefit from the rapid increase in the Internet as a source of information for tourists. They established a website (www.gophila.com) with reservation capability that currently attracts thousands of users daily. Features of the website include: • Philadelphia Culture Files • Subscription capabilities for regular email newsletters • Information in different languages • A virtual Brochure Rack • Itineraries that include directions, photographs and nearby dining suggestions. GPTMC publishes an annual report to the industry on the marketing and promotional activities that have been undertaken in the previous year. This regular report enables the industry to view all marketing activities undertaken in the previous year. 4.7 A Review of Best Practice/ Lessons Learned As already noted, there is a variety of tourism promotion experiences at county level in Ireland and overseas that is relevant to our assessment of the promotional methods employed in County Clare. These experiences offer lessons for tourism stakeholders (and particularly for our prospective TDO) in the Clare that can be summarised under the following headings:


4.7.1 Co-operation One of the most important activities of a tourism promotion agency is to act as a coordinator of tourism promotion activity and foster co-operation between key players in the area of tourism promotion. In this regard, several types of cooperative relationship can be defined: 4.7.1.1 Co-operation with the Trade A marketer of any destination needs to work hard to promote greater cohesion and co-operation within the tourism industry locally. A tourism promoter in a county setting should ideally act as a focal point for the trade, to which opinions, ideas and problems can be expressed. These opinions and ideas should be processed and, in turn, specific marketing proposals submitted to members of the trade for its support. Examples of initiatives created through a coordination of marketing effort and fostering co-operation within the tourism industry are shown in counties such as Meath where angling packages, for example, were developed in conjunction with local accommodation providers. 4.7.1.2 Co-operation with the RTA Within Ireland a good relationship with the local RTA is especially important in providing cohesive marketing of the county. Strengthening the relationship between the RTA and the county is necessary to improve the marketing of county in both domestic and international markets. Activities such as attendance at tourism exhibitions with the RTA can lead to synergies in promotional effort. Given budget limitations and the difficulties in making an impact on an international level, most county level agencies have sought to gain maximum benefit from the RTA’s activities for their own areas. 4.7.1.3 Co-operation with Neighbouring Counties A strong relationship with tourism promoters in neighbouring counties is also important. In particular locations, especially those with a weaker tourism product mix, there is a great deal of advantage to be gained in engaging in co-operative efforts with authorities in neighbouring areas. This usually relates to the promotion of a particular product (e.g. historical sites or buildings) that may require some co-operation with neighbouring areas. 4.7.2 Funding The funding of any tourism promotion activity is crucial. Experience to date indicates that the most successful county level organisations receive some basic level of financial support from a state agency (usually the County Council but occasionally the RTA). This basic funding is usually supplemented from such sources as: • The tourism industry itself that could be expected co-fund marketing activities

that directly benefit them. • Other major beneficiaries of tourism, including retailers, banks, service

enterprises, etc. • Sponsorship from major firms and employers in the county e.g. corporate

sponsorship for billboard advertising


• Marketing and employment grant support available from state and EU funded programmes such as LEADER and INTERREG

• RTA assistance on tourism initiatives which are consistent with regional interests It is crucial that the majority of funding is used directly for promotional activity. Administration and salary costs are kept to a minimum in the most successful cases. Most tourism promotion agencies indicated difficulties in raising the necessary funding, although those with longer-term relationships with the trade are more likely to be successful in their fund-raising efforts Where trade funding is sought or received, an annual report should be published allowing the trade to see clearly the promotional and marketing activities that were undertaken in the previous year. This regular report provides the transparency often sought by those who donate funding for the county. 4.7.3 Promotional Methods 4.7.3.1 Internet Promotion The key to achieving the benefits of Internet promotion is having a well designed and well maintained website that is attractive, informative, interactive and quick to download. Well-designed tourism websites from other counties incorporate information as accurate and detailed as brochures or timetables, photos and graphs and essentially operate as a ‘Virtual Tourist Office’. Effective sites are updated regularly with information regarding the county's tourism products and services, such as entertainment available etc. The cost of setting up a website can range for €1,000 to €10,000 with annual running costs in the same range. The costing depends on how elaborate and functional the site is. From the experience of other county websites, it is often better to keep all technological outsourcing local. Local services tend to provide a higher reliability of service. Website features that appear to yield the most positive returns include: • Search facilities • Special offers and packages should be advertised on the website. • Enquires page • Culture Files – samples of the particular culture of the county • Subscription capabilities for regular email newsletters • Information in different languages • A virtual Brochure Rack • Itineraries that include directions, photographs and dining suggestions • Packages – online packages of activity, sightseeing and cultural interest. It is especially important to properly profile the site with the main search engines (i.e. to ensure that the site appears high in the list of search results). In addition, all members of the tourism industry should be encouraged to promote the website and become linked to it. Local attractions that have Internet sites can be especially


targeted for the establishment of such links. Site profile is also increased in many cases by linking with relevant local, national and international sites. In some cases, the website is supported by the County Council site. Specifically, many county council websites prominently display a link to a special tourism page. Other counties have also used county council IT resources in order to reduce the cost of establishing and maintaining a dedicated tourism website or web page for the county. 4.7.3.2 Promotional Print The use of promotional print and especially brochures within the tourism industry is widespread. However, our research indicates the number of brochures being published is being reduced. The main reasons for this are the growth of the Internet as a promotional medium and the high cost and high wastage of producing brochures. However publications that appear to have had a satisfactory impact in other counties include: • A special County Guide, including information about attractions at various

locations around the county • Business cards for promoting the county site and for use at international shows. • Special publications to promote specific packages. • Maps of attractions and trails The use of existing RTA and trade promotional print has been effectively used as a means of reducing the publication burden. Similarly, the RTA in certain circumstances may be convinced to produce county level publications if these are consistent with regional priorities. 4.7.3.3 Publicity Public relations are an extremely important method of tourism promotion. Best practices include: • Creation of a database of journalists, editors and other media contacts. • Working relationships should be developed with members of local, national and

international media. It is well known that features in magazines and newspapers constitute an extremely powerful promotional tool. Photographs, information and contact information should be provided to the media to assist them in reporting from the County. The Shannon Development site; www.IrishFreckles.com already contains most of this information on a regional level.

• Familiarisation trips should also be organised inviting members of the media and travel trade to view the attractions and offerings in the County.

4.7.3.4 Trade Fairs Our research has found trade fairs to be a useful form of tourism promotion for creating ‘word-of-mouth’ and increasing profile as opposed to direct sales. Best practices amongst county level promoters include: • Agreeing to take a place on the stands of the local RTA, Failte Ireland and

Tourism Ireland at domestic or international tourism exhibitions • Producing cards for distribution at trade fairs


4.7.3.5 Advertising Advertising is a very expensive form of tourism promotion e.g. a full-page colour advertisement in the Irish Times costs in the region of €28,000 (€23,000 for black and white). Best practices amongst county level organisations include: • Choice of publication is very important. On a tight promotional budget, the return

from advertising in niche publications is often very worthwhile. • Readership, coverage and cost should all be considered when deciding on which

publication to advertise in. • Generally, the cost of advertising activity should be shared with the industry e.g.

advertising 'special offers' and 'package deals'.


Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Tourism Promotion Structures in Clare There is a plethora of structures involved in tourism promotion in Co. Clare, all affecting the development of the sector in one way or another: • At a national level, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are responsible for

tourism development and although Co. Clare remains the fifth most important tourism destination in the country (and therefore an important instrument in marketing armoury of Fáilte Ireland), the promotional efforts of Fáilte Ireland do not have a county level orientation.

• At the regional level, Shannon Development’s brief is to promote the entire region and while the importance of County Clare is evident in its prominence in the promotional literature of the region, the specific interests of Co. Clare can sometimes be subordinated by broader regional priorities.

• At the county level, o The County Council has involved itself both strategically and

financially in the promotion of the county as a tourism destination o The Clare Tourism Council has worked hard to represent Clare’s

tourism interests. However, the impact of the Council has been limited by a lack of resources and by the part-time nature of its activities.

o Other groups like LEADER (Rural Resource Development) have devoted funds to specific tourism marketing activities,

o The trade itself in the county spends in the region of €4 million per year on the promotion of their businesses2.

5.2 Co-ordination Problems If examined individually, each of the above actors can justifiably claim to be achieving substantial success. The general trend in the sector, despite the setbacks caused by SARS, foot and mouth, and the nervous American market, continues to be very positive. Records for tourism numbers and revenues continue to be broken and further growth is realistically predicted. Nevertheless, the overwhelming impression of the institutional environment for tourism promotion in the county is that of a patchwork of agencies and activities with chronically weak threads holding them together.

As such, there is a need to create stronger synergies between the various agencies so as to enhance the impact of their individual efforts on tourism development in County Clare specifically.

2 Estimates based on survey of tourism businesses conducted as part of this report


These synergies should be created in the first place at the point where regional and local agencies interact. One of the most important activities in tourism promotion is the co-ordination of tourism promotion activity and development of professional co-operation between key players in the area of tourism promotion. In this regard, several types of co-operative relationships can be defined: 5.2.1 Co-operation with the RTA Shannon Development is the most influential player in the promotion of County Clare as a tourist destination because the RTA has a strong influence on the design of all national promotional efforts, while at the same time, having a direct responsibility for the promotion of the region as a whole. However, unlike other RTAs in Ireland, Shannon Development is a private limited company and there seems to be a level of concern within the county over the inability of the tourism trade to influence Shannon Development decisions in relation to tourism development. Within Ireland, a good relationship with the local RTA is especially important in providing cohesive marketing of the county. In this regard, there is a need for a county level focal point for the tourism industry, which will work proactively with Shannon Development on promotional activities for the benefit both of the county and the region as a whole. There is a need for greater communication between Shannon Development and county-level authorities involved in tourism promotion. Strengthening the relationship between the RTA and the county is necessary to improve the marketing of county in both domestic and international markets. Activities such as attendance at tourism exhibitions with the RTA can lead to synergies in promotional effort. Given budget limitations and the difficulties in making an impact on an international level, most county level agencies have sought to gain maximum benefit from the RTA’s activities for their own areas. 5.2.2 Co-operation with the Trade A promoter of any destination needs to work hard to promote greater cohesion and co-operation within the tourism industry locally. A tourism promoter in a county setting should ideally act as a focal point for the trade, to which opinions, ideas and problems can be expressed. These opinions and ideas should be processed and, in turn, specific marketing proposals submitted to members of the trade for its support. Examples of initiatives created through a co-ordination of marketing effort and fostering co-operation within the tourism industry are shown in counties such as Meath where angling packages, for example, were developed in conjunction with local accommodation providers. 5.2.3 Co-operation with Neighbouring Counties A strong relationship with tourism promoters in neighbouring counties is also important. In particular locations, especially those with a weaker tourism product mix, there is a great deal of advantage to be gained in engaging in co-operative efforts with authorities in neighbouring areas. This usually relates to the promotion of a particular


product (e.g. historical sites or buildings) that may require some co-operation with neighbouring areas. 5.3 Tourism Development Officer (TDO) At present, there is no organisation or agency in the country with the specific role to create these synergies at county level. The creation of a point-of-reference within the county is therefore essential in creating the synergy required from such co-operative efforts. Previous studies of tourism in the county have recommended the establishment of a dedicated tourism promotion company and indeed such companies are operating in several other counties. However, a common feature of all such companies is the difficulties they face in raising funds (indeed a previous effort to establish such a company in Clare foundered on an inability to raise funds). In other counties, those that have been most successful in raising funds are those that have established a strong record of achievement in tourism promotion and consequently, have earned a high level of credibility amongst the trade as well as amongst the various state agencies. Our research shows that the trade is willing, in principle, to contribute to a county level fund for tourism promotion. However, it is only likely to do so where it can be convinced of the quality of the management of the fund and the uses to which contributed funds are to be put.

As such, it is recommended that Clare Tourist Council prepare a comprehensive proposal, primarily directed at the trade, to fund the position of a county Tourism Development Officer (TDO) and to establish an annual budget for various county-level promotional activities. It is critically important that this proposal contains concrete promotional actions that are clearly seen to be of benefit to contributors. Some examples of such promotional activities are presented below.

The overall role of the TDO, who should have a professional background in marketing and tourism, would be to promote the development of tourism in the county by: • Strengthening the co-ordination of the promotional efforts of the existing regional

and county-level agencies in the way that they impact on County Clare • Ensuring that all promotional efforts are responsive to the needs of the trade in the

county • Acting as a source of promotional advice and support (a resource centre of sorts),

especially for smaller tourism operators • Carrying out innovative promotional campaigns to fill the gaps left by the larger

agencies 5.3.1 TDO Funding The funding of any tourism promotion activity is crucial. Experience to date indicates that the most successful county level organisations receive some basic level of


financial support from a state agency (usually the County Council but occasionally the RTA). This basic funding is usually supplemented from such sources as: • The tourism industry itself that could be expected co-fund marketing activities

that directly benefit them. • Other major beneficiaries of tourism, including retailers, banks, service

enterprises, etc. • Sponsorship from major firms and employers in the county e.g. corporate

sponsorship for billboard advertising • Marketing and employment grant support available from state and EU funded

programmes such as LEADER and INTERREG • RTA assistance on tourism initiatives which are consistent with regional interests This report has indicated that the tourism trade in County Clare spends an estimated €4 million annually. The majority of current trade spending is focused on promoting individual businesses as distinct from a more generic effort to promote the county generally. While the expenditures of individual tourism businesses undoubtedly have a positive impact on the number of tourists visiting the county, it would appear that a general county-wide promotional programme, funded jointly by individual trade members, would further enhance the likely number of tourists to the county. As such, the TDO should make proposals to the trade in relation to joint marketing efforts (e.g. “good food circles”, golf packages, etc.). It is crucial that the majority of funding is used directly for promotional activity. Administration and salary costs are kept to a minimum in the most successful cases. Most tourism promotion agencies indicated difficulties in raising the necessary funding, although those with longer-term relationships with the trade are more likely to be successful in their fund-raising efforts Where trade funding is sought or received, an annual report should be published allowing the trade to see clearly the promotional and marketing activities that were undertaken in the previous year. This regular report provides the transparency often sought by those who donate funding for the county 5.3.2 TDO Activities It is fully recognised that in an environment of declining promotional budgets, the Tourism Development Officer is unlikely to have substantial operational resources available in the short term. We would envisage a two-stage plan of activities for the TDO over a period of five years. 5.3.2.1 TDO First Stage In the first stage (three years), the TDO’s key objective would be to establish a track record of concrete achievement (however small in scale) and to build up sound working relationships with the trade and the other agencies in the county. In working with the trade in the first phase, the TDO could carry out such activities as:


• Designing and developing tourism packages with the trade (e.g. an Irish music trail, a good food circle, a “moments in history” package, a famous pubs of Clare trail, etc.)

• Organise training courses for local tourism providers in the areas of hospitality, promotion, Internet training, front office management and customer service skills etc. Opportunities may exist for funding through the LEADER programme.

• Operating as a resource centre for smaller operators, providing advice and support in such issues as marketing and promotion, management, starting a new tourism business, etc.

• Acting as the intermediary between the trade, Shannon Development and other departments of the Council on issues relating to tourism (e.g. signage, road maintenance, etc.)

• Carrying out telephone surveys so as to ensure adequate representation of the views of the trade in tourism development plans at local or regional level

• Building up a database of tourism operators and preparing and distributing a quarterly electronic newsletter on useful tourism news in the county (such as new tourism products, names and addresses of useful contacts, developments in competitor counties, support programmes available locally, training availability, etc.)

In our interviews, all relevant agencies made it clear that they would welcome stronger co-operation with Clare tourism interests. In working with the other tourism promotion agencies, the TDO in the first three-year period could: • Seek to enhance the profile of County Clare in the activities of the RTA by

encouraging local operators to take part in the various forums organised by Shannon Development, by maximising the opportunities offered by the RTA’s website and by contributing to the design of the various promotional materials prepared by the regional authority.

• Establish contacts with county level tourism organisations in neighbouring counties to encourage possible areas of mutual co-operation in specific sectors

In the first three-year period, the TDO would also design and carry out a range of low-cost promotional efforts, with a view especially to demonstrating the Officer’s effectiveness to the trade. Such low-cost promotional activities might include: • Carefully prepared submissions to international guidebooks on Ireland to enhance

the profile of County Clare therein • Public relations support to various local events (festivals, etc.) by preparing press

releases, inviting journalists, etc. • Assisting in the maintenance of the county tourism website (see below) • Writing articles for travel magazines or similar • Creating competitions for holiday packages to visit the county. Other competition

oriented best practices include Supermarket “token” competitions and raffles. 5.3.2.2 TDO Second Stage At the end of the first three-year period, the key target would be to have an established track record of achievement in the promotion of tourism in the county. By the end of the three years, an integrated tourism promotion programme for the county


should be prepared by the TDO. This programme would be based on the practical experiences of the first phase and the priorities of the trade. It is likely that this plan would be more ambitious in character than the activities of the first phase and would require a more substantial financial support than that available initially. However, on the basis of the track record established during the first phase, we would expect that the trade would be more supportive financially if clear benefits could be envisaged from such support3. In addition to the contributions of the trade, further financial support could be available from LEADER, INTERREG, or other similar programmes for specific activities. 5.4 Profiling County Clare As already noted, the existing agencies are already carrying out very significant promotional activities at national and international levels. We believe that County Clare can achieve a higher profile from these existing promotional activities by working more closely with the respective agencies in existing national or regional promotional efforts. The key to ensuring a higher profile lies in the relationship with the RTA. At national level, Fáilte Ireland’s international promotional materials are carried out in consultation with each of the RTA's rather than with individual counties. At regional level, the RTA itself has a substantial annual promotional campaign. There is a clear need for County Clare to fully exploit the opportunities that are presented by these activities. This can be achieved in a number of practical ways: • By working very closely with the RTA’s web specialists to ensure that Shannon

Development’s new website contains the full range of tourist services and activities available in the county and that this information is updated regularly as required by the site managers

• By seeking to accompany the RTA on selected trade fairs or similar promotional events to ensure the maximum exposure for County Clare

• By proactively submitting promotional ideas to the RTA or by providing other supports to the activities of the RTA (e.g. contribution to brochure writing or similar activities)

• By making proposals to the RTA on behalf of County Clare for any future “flagship” tourism product developments in the region

As noted above, the TDO would have a full-time responsibility for these activities. 5.5 Target Markets The cost-effectiveness of any promotional effort is closely related to the extent to which it can be properly targeted. The effective targeting of promotional activities requires a clear view of the audience that the promoter is attempting to reach. 3 A clear outcome of our telephone survey was that the trade are likely to provide financial support only if there appears to be a strong likelihood that there contributions will benefit their own business.


In our view, the primary target for the marketing activities of any county level promoter in County Clare would logically be the island of Ireland. This is so for several reasons. First, the domestic market is an important growth segment with an average tourist spend that is significantly lower than other counties. This was especially important during the downturn of 2001 and 2002. The growing trend towards short breaks, often in the off-season, is likely to continue. A targeted promotional effort can help Clare to exploit these important trends. Secondly, the existing promotional efforts made by Fáilte Ireland or Shannon Development in the domestic market have been wide-ranging, and have not, in general terms, been county specific. Neither is it likely that either Fáilte Ireland or the RTA will be engaging in county level promotion in the short-term. The profile of County Clare as a tourist destination for domestic tourists can only be raised by efforts from within the county itself. Thirdly, since the promotional budget for County Clare is likely to be limited in the short to medium term, there is a need to focus on those targets whose holiday choices can be influenced at relatively low cost. Certainly, the domestic market offers that opportunity. Although a clear promotional strategy for the domestic market needs to be worked out in detail, some examples of particular initiatives that could be considered are described in section 4.4 below. It is clear that impossibly vast budgets would be required for County Clare to have a serious impact in the international markets. Nevertheless, a carefully designed international promotional campaign has the potential to deliver substantial results. The type of specifically targeted, cost-effective, international promotion that we would envisage could aim at: • Campaigns in cities from which there is a direct flight to Shannon airport • Locations in the US, UK, or Australia with a significant Clare diaspora • Activity specific promotion (e.g. direct electronic contact with overseas branches

of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann for special traditional music weekends, overseas walking clubs for hiking festivals, etc.)

• Opportunities also exist for targeted promotion to eco tourism, heritage and culture oriented markets. In this situation the TDO would be responsible for activities such as coordinating local interest groups for wider impact tourism promotion. E.g. coordination of Clare Heritage Circle with local biking service providers to create biking heritage & cultural packages.

5.6 Promotion Methods The key subject of the current study is the effectiveness of the promotional methods used to promote Co. Clare as a tourism destination. The following paragraphs present our summary and conclusions on the various promotional methods on the basis of our evaluation of current activities in the county and our review of best promotional practices in other locations in Ireland and overseas.


5.6.1 Internet The WTO describes the web as the “ideal channel for promotion of destinations” (WTO, 1999). The Internet is a relatively inexpensive promotional medium, a view shared by respondents to our telephone survey of tourism businesses in the county. Usage of the Internet has increased dramatically in the last ten years. Currently more than sixty percent of US households research their leisure travel online. In 2002 about twenty percent of those holidaymakers to Ireland cited the Internet as an information source that influenced their choice of Ireland as holiday destination (up from five percent in 1997). But it is as a planning guide where the use of the Internet has grown dramatically. Over forty percent of those holidaying in Ireland in 2002 said that they used the Internet in the planning of their holiday (up eight percent since 1997). Our examination of tourism promotion in various counties revealed that the vast majority of promotion agencies had developed websites and now considered them an important part of their promotional effort. Shannon Development and Failte Ireland have invested huge resources into the development of tourism promotional websites . However, these sites do not have a strong county orientation. For example, basic Internet searches revealed that the Shannon Development tourism site (www.shannonregiontourism.ie) did not rate highly in typical searches for tourist information on County Clare. As such, Clare Tourist Council have recently undertaken to develop a dedicated tourism website for County Clare. The funding for the website was sourced using the Clare Tourist Council funds with assistance from the County Clare LEADER programme. The website is due online in August 2004. It is recommended that some of the best practices delineated below be considered in the current and future development of the site. 5.6.1.1 Developing an Internet Effective Presence

- The key to achieving the benefits of Internet promotion is having a well-designed and well-maintained website that is attractive, informative, interactive and quick to download. Well-designed tourism websites from other counties incorporate information as accurate and detailed as brochures or timetables, photos and graphs and essentially operate as a ‘Virtual Tourist Office’. Effective sites are updated regularly with information regarding the county's tourism products and services, such as entertainment available etc.

- The website should focus on the provision of basic information aimed at both interested tourists as well as the tourism trade itself.

- The website should be designed so that it can be easily updated by the TDO or the IT department of the County Council. Therefore it should be designed using relatively user friendly technologies

- The website should be linked to the RTA site to allow visitors access to Shannon Development’s accommodation database and other facilities.

- The translation of the main website pages into various languages should be considered


The following are examples of best practices webpages that should be considered: • A home page providing a general introduction to the site, images of County Clare

and links to other pages • A history of Co. Clare page • A page describing accommodation available in the county and links to both

accommodation providers in the county and the Shannon Development accommodation database.

• An activities page providing a description of the activities available in Co. Clare and links to those that have web addresses.

• A page describing the variety of places to visit and links to those places that have web addresses.

• A page describing the calendar of events and festivals in the county for the year. • A page providing contact information for the TDO and RTA tourism contacts. • Also a page should be developed which allows the tourist to fill in an online

application for information, brochures, accommodation information etc. This can result in a message directly to the TDO.

• From the experience of other county websites, it is often better to keep all technological outsourcing local. Local services tend to provide a higher reliability of service.

Interviews with other tourism promoters have revealed Website features that yield the most positive returns include:

• Search facilities • Special offers and packages should be advertised on the website. • Enquires page • Culture Files – samples of the particular culture of the county • Subscription capabilities for regular email newsletters • Information in different languages • A virtual Brochure Rack • Itineraries that include directions, photographs and dining suggestions • Packages – online packages of activity, sightseeing and cultural interest. 5.6.1.2 Future Development Depending on the level of interest generated by the website, the possibilities for developing the website should be explored in the future. This may involve expanding the website to provide a wider set of links, more detailed information on particular issues, etc. The possibilities of attracting revenue for linking business and accommodation providers to the site could also be explored at this time. Particular features of the site that may be developed in the second stage include: - 360 degree shots of places to see around Clare - Interactive tours and maps for places to go in Clare - Events and activities database - Regularly updated ‘Special offers’ and ‘packages’ - Online support for offline marketing initiatives


A better quality website will require a larger investment and larger running costs per annum. Other counties quoted in the region of €10,000 to develop a website with €10,000 running costs per annum. 5.6.1.3 Profiling It is especially important that the County Clare tourism site is properly profiled with the main search engines in order to attract an appropriate level of Internet traffic. Also the website needs to be ‘profiled’ effectively so as to ensure that the site appears prominently in search results on the main search engines. In addition, all members of the tourism industry should be encouraged to promote the website and become linked to it. Local attractions that have Internet sites can be especially targeted for the establishment of such links. Site profile is also increased in many cases by linking with relevant local, national and international sites. In this context, the title of the website is important and should include searchable words for the average tourist. For example, “Bunratty”, “the Burren”, “Cliffs of Moher”, “County Clare”, “Shannon”, “Ireland”, “Accommodation”, “West of Ireland” are all examples of terms that should be incorporated into the title and the ‘body’ text of the website so as to maximise accessibility for on-line searchers. The County Council site (www.clare.ie) should also contain supporting links to the tourism site. 5.6.2 Promotional Print There is a large amount of promotional print published in the tourism industry in Ireland. This can include brochures, magazines, maps, cards and flyers. The main reasons for this are the growth of the Internet as a promotional medium and the high cost and high wastage of producing brochures. However, printed material may be necessary to support certain marketing initiatives e.g. ‘packages’, ‘special offers’, and ‘trails’. Publications that appear to have had a satisfactory impact in other counties include: • A special County Guide, including information about attractions at various

locations around the county • Business cards for promoting the county site and for use at international shows. • Special publications to promote specific packages. • Maps of attractions and trails Generally, promotional print publication expenses are borne at least partially by the trade in other counties. Also existing RTA and trade promotional print has been effectively used as a means of reducing the publication burden in other counties. This is particularly relevant when undertaking international promotion as it will result synergies from a similar marketing focus for the two agencies and a decreased strain on any budget for a new county level marketing initiative. Any piece of promotional print (including Shannon Development’s) should support the website and visa versa. This can be done by displaying the website address on all pieces of promotional print. Similarly, the RTA in certain circumstances may be convinced to produce county level publications if these are consistent with regional priorities


5.6.3 Public Relations Publicity is recognised throughout the tourism industry as an effective and relatively inexpensive form of promotion. It may involve the media in the publication of new special offers to County Clare, or launching new ‘packages’ for the county. One of the functions of the TDO will be to act as public relations officer for the county. This will involve: • Developing a database of contacts within media contacts • Organising familiarisation trips for members of the tourism and travel media to

the county • Organising ‘stunts’ that publicise the county as a tourist destination • Working relationships should be developed with members of local, national and

international media. It is well known that features in magazines and newspapers constitute an extremely powerful promotional tool. Photographs, information and contact information should be provided to the media to assist them in reporting from the County. The Shannon Development site: www.irishfreckles.com already contains most of this information at a regional level.

5.6.4 Advertising Advertising is one of the more widely used forms tourism promotion methods. It can be an expensive form of promotion and therefore any advertising undertaken should be targeted effectively promotion e.g. a full-page colour advertisement in the Irish Times costs in the region of €28,000 (€23,000 for black and white). Best practices amongst other county level organisations include: • Choice of publication is very important. On a tight promotional budget, the return

from advertising in niche publications is often very worthwhile. • Readership, coverage and cost should all be considered when deciding on which

publication to advertise in. • Generally, the cost of advertising activity should be shared with the industry e.g.

advertising 'special offers' and 'package deals'. • Advertising on the Internet is an increasingly popular promotional method. For

example, an advertisement on the Irish Times website, (www.ireland.com), or the Irish Independent website, (www.unison.ie) can be targeted by geographically region, time of day and date. Currently, ireland.com has about 200,000 visits per month from all over the world while unison.ie hosts about 450,000 worldwide visitors per month.

In general, advertising should only be carried out if it is supported with funding by the tourism industry within the county. The TDO should also investigate the possibilities of attracting corporate sponsorship for billboard advertising. 5.6.5 Tourism Exhibitions Our research has found trade fairs to be a useful form of tourism promotion for creating ‘word-of-mouth’ and increasing profile as opposed to direct sales. Best practices amongst county level promoters include:


• Agreeing to take a place on the stands of the local RTA, Failte Ireland and

Tourism Ireland at domestic or international tourism exhibitionsAround Ireland, tourism promotion companies attend tourism exhibition with the local RTA, Tourism Ireland or Failte Ireland. Initiating a similar practice in County Clare appears to be a feasible option. Shannon Development is highly experienced in both organising and attending tourism exhibitions at home and abroad and this experience should be fully shared with the TDO or other tourism interests in the County who would like to accompany Shannon Development on such trips. In this context, a mutually co-operative relationship should be developed with Shannon Development, as regards the county’s participation on the RTA’s stands in domestic and international tourism exhibitions.

• Producing cards for distribution at trade fairs It is cost-effective, at least in the short-term, for County Clare to set up county stands of its own in international exhibitions. Rather a focus on niche tourism markets would be less expensive and could be expected to have greater turn and therefore a greater cost-effectiveness. 5.6.6 Direct Mail The primary research revealed that although direct mail is not widely used throughout the industry it can be an effective tourism promotion tool (twenty percent of respondents, mainly large tourism business and organisations, had used direct mail). It is, however, an expensive tool, so its application for organisations on tight budgets is quite limited. . Nevertheless, the TDO could be expected to carry out effective direct mail campaigns to promote particular local tourism products (e.g. a mail shot of previous members or visitors to local golf clubs).

Contact Details:

Clare County Development Board Community & Enterprise Office,

Quin Road Business Park, Ennis,

Co. Clare. Phone: 065 6846222 Fax: 065 6829558

Email: [email protected] Web: www.clarecdb.ie