Cliffs of Moher Centre Ltd. has today advised employees and trade union representatives that it is unable to implement a Labour Court recommendation that the company should apply local authority pay structures at the County Clare facility.
The company, which manages and operates the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre on behalf of the owners Clare County Council, says the centre would not be in a position to sustain a significant increase in operating costs.
According to company Manager Katherine Webster: “The effect of implementing the Labour Court recommendation would lead to an annual cost increase of the order of €400,000, which the centre would not be able to sustain and which would seriously undermine our future viability.”
The visitor centre broke even in 2007 but has made significant losses in 2008 and 2009 owing to the downturn in visitor numbers and the challenging tourism environment, which is expected to continue during the remainder of 2010.
Ms. Webster noted there has on average been a 25% decline in visitor numbers at tourist attractions throughout the country in the first five months of the year, with a corresponding 15% drop-off in numbers at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre during the same period.
She added: “The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience has been operated on a commercial basis since it opened in 2007. The entire ethos, culture and approach has always been that the centre forms part of the wider region’s tourism product, and it operate and compete with other tourist attractions and regions.”
“Relations between management and staff at the centre have been extremely positive since the start and I would like to acknowledge the very cooperative and positive approach that staff have always taken in addressing difficult circumstances arising from a seriously challenging operating environment”, Ms Webster concluded.
Cliffs of Moher Centre Ltd. employs 24 full-time staff at the visitor centre with additional recruitment talking place over the summer season.
The company, which manages and operates the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre on behalf of the owners Clare County Council, says the centre would not be in a position to sustain a significant increase in operating costs.
According to company Manager Katherine Webster: “The effect of implementing the Labour Court recommendation would lead to an annual cost increase of the order of €400,000, which the centre would not be able to sustain and which would seriously undermine our future viability.”
The visitor centre broke even in 2007 but has made significant losses in 2008 and 2009 owing to the downturn in visitor numbers and the challenging tourism environment, which is expected to continue during the remainder of 2010.
Ms. Webster noted there has on average been a 25% decline in visitor numbers at tourist attractions throughout the country in the first five months of the year, with a corresponding 15% drop-off in numbers at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre during the same period.
She added: “The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience has been operated on a commercial basis since it opened in 2007. The entire ethos, culture and approach has always been that the centre forms part of the wider region’s tourism product, and it operate and compete with other tourist attractions and regions.”
“Relations between management and staff at the centre have been extremely positive since the start and I would like to acknowledge the very cooperative and positive approach that staff have always taken in addressing difficult circumstances arising from a seriously challenging operating environment”, Ms Webster concluded.
Cliffs of Moher Centre Ltd. employs 24 full-time staff at the visitor centre with additional recruitment talking place over the summer season.
