A tourism delegation from County Clare is travelling to the United States this week to promote County Clare as a “must visit” destination for American tourists.
The group, which includes representatives of the Clare Tourism Forum and the Clare Tourist Council, will showcase the tourism product on offer in County Clare to over 140,000 festival goers at the world's largest celebrations of Irish culture, the Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin.
The festival, which runs from August 19-22, was established in 1981 by members of Milwaukee’s Irish community and takes place covers in the 74 acre Festival Grounds on Lake Michigan's shoreline. County Clare's presence at Irish Fest was established in 2001 when former Mayor of Clare and current Chairperson of the Clare Tourist Council, Flan Garvey, instigated a local tourism promotion campaign.
Mr. Garvey will once again attend this year’s event along with Clare Tourism Forum members Siobhán Garvey, Marketing and Development Officer with Kilrush Town Council and Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
Earlier this month, the Clare Tourism Forum shipped promotional material and literature to Milwaukee relating to a wide variety of tourism providers and interests around County Clare.
The promotional material includes information on Clare hotels and B&Bs as well as local visitor attractions and activities including the Aillwee Caves, Burren Holiday Centre, Burren Smokehouse, Drumcreehy House B&B, Michael Cusack Centre, Rowan Tree Hostel, Bunratty Castle and Killaloe/Ballina Tourism. The Cliffs of Moher’s bid to be named one of the ‘New7Wonders of Nature’ will also be promoted at the festival.
Commenting ahead of the trip, Maureen Cleary, Marketing Executive, Clare Tourism Forum said that thousands of people from the American Midwest and Northeast have booked flights directly into Shannon Airport as a result of the Clare tourism delegation's presence at the Milwaukee Irish Fest since 2001.
Ms. Cleary added: “By attending the festival this year we aim to build on this result by encouraging even more people to visit County Clare via Shannon Airport. The interest among tourism providers in County Clare in sending promotional material to Milwaukee is a clear sign that the local tourism sector is becoming more proactive by engaging in the direct marketing of the County.
“Those involved in Clare’s tourism sector face many challenges to capture and increase visitor numbers to the county as it is operating in an extremely competitive and commercial market place. I am confident, however, that this week’s promotional trip to the USA will help consolidate Clare’s growing status as a competitive and appealing destination in the North American tourism market”, she stated.
Siobhan Garvey, Marketing and Development Officer with Kilrush Town Council noted that members of the Clare Tourism Forum have found people to be interested in discovering more about less well known tourist sites and attractions, based on previous experiences at the Milwaukee Irish Fest.
”Dolphin watching in the Shannon Estuary, the Scattery Island experience and the Vandeleur Walled Gardens are always the subject of enquiries from interested festival goers. Clare tourism has so much more to offer than the just famous tourism landmarks. That is why Kilrush Town Council has again decided to attend the Fest and do its bit help promote the Banner County as a desirable tourist destination”, added Ms Garvey.
Over two million US viewers watched the official launch of the Clare Tourism Forum’s website www.clare.ie on US television network Fox News during the Forum’s visit to the 2007 Milwaukee Irish Fest.
The group, which includes representatives of the Clare Tourism Forum and the Clare Tourist Council, will showcase the tourism product on offer in County Clare to over 140,000 festival goers at the world's largest celebrations of Irish culture, the Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin.
The festival, which runs from August 19-22, was established in 1981 by members of Milwaukee’s Irish community and takes place covers in the 74 acre Festival Grounds on Lake Michigan's shoreline. County Clare's presence at Irish Fest was established in 2001 when former Mayor of Clare and current Chairperson of the Clare Tourist Council, Flan Garvey, instigated a local tourism promotion campaign.
Mr. Garvey will once again attend this year’s event along with Clare Tourism Forum members Siobhán Garvey, Marketing and Development Officer with Kilrush Town Council and Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
Earlier this month, the Clare Tourism Forum shipped promotional material and literature to Milwaukee relating to a wide variety of tourism providers and interests around County Clare.
The promotional material includes information on Clare hotels and B&Bs as well as local visitor attractions and activities including the Aillwee Caves, Burren Holiday Centre, Burren Smokehouse, Drumcreehy House B&B, Michael Cusack Centre, Rowan Tree Hostel, Bunratty Castle and Killaloe/Ballina Tourism. The Cliffs of Moher’s bid to be named one of the ‘New7Wonders of Nature’ will also be promoted at the festival.
Commenting ahead of the trip, Maureen Cleary, Marketing Executive, Clare Tourism Forum said that thousands of people from the American Midwest and Northeast have booked flights directly into Shannon Airport as a result of the Clare tourism delegation's presence at the Milwaukee Irish Fest since 2001.
Ms. Cleary added: “By attending the festival this year we aim to build on this result by encouraging even more people to visit County Clare via Shannon Airport. The interest among tourism providers in County Clare in sending promotional material to Milwaukee is a clear sign that the local tourism sector is becoming more proactive by engaging in the direct marketing of the County.
“Those involved in Clare’s tourism sector face many challenges to capture and increase visitor numbers to the county as it is operating in an extremely competitive and commercial market place. I am confident, however, that this week’s promotional trip to the USA will help consolidate Clare’s growing status as a competitive and appealing destination in the North American tourism market”, she stated.
Siobhan Garvey, Marketing and Development Officer with Kilrush Town Council noted that members of the Clare Tourism Forum have found people to be interested in discovering more about less well known tourist sites and attractions, based on previous experiences at the Milwaukee Irish Fest.
”Dolphin watching in the Shannon Estuary, the Scattery Island experience and the Vandeleur Walled Gardens are always the subject of enquiries from interested festival goers. Clare tourism has so much more to offer than the just famous tourism landmarks. That is why Kilrush Town Council has again decided to attend the Fest and do its bit help promote the Banner County as a desirable tourist destination”, added Ms Garvey.
Over two million US viewers watched the official launch of the Clare Tourism Forum’s website www.clare.ie on US television network Fox News during the Forum’s visit to the 2007 Milwaukee Irish Fest.
