Galway sees off, Paris, Venice and Rome

Date Published: 15-May-2008

VENITIANS can cry into their canals and Parisiens can drown their sorrows in a full-bodied French wine – but tourists rate Galway ahead of both of them.

Because the city has been voted 42nd in the inaugural Travellers’ Choice Destinations Awards by independent travel website, TripAdvisor – ahead of such tourism hot spots as Venice, Paris and Rome in the list of 100 destinations.

It was one of only three Irish locations to make the list, which represents the opinions of millions of
travellers worldwide. Dingle ranked 18th in the world and Killarney made it into the top 100 at number 85. Dublin was a notable omission from the rankings.

“We’re not at all surprised at Galway’s position on the list and we think it’s well worth the rating,” said Maeve Joyce-Crehan of Galway Chamber of Commerce.

“We have something very special here- a wonderful product and a personal touch that visitors love. It’s important that we keep that, embrace all the positive things and nurture it,” she said.

Niall McNeilis of Claddagh and Celtic Jewellery, Spanish Parade agrees: “There’s something magical about Galway- the pubs, the people, the atmosphere. The city’s tourism industry went through some tough times in the wake of the water crisis, but since then I think everyone involved has really pulled up their socks and strived to provide really good services and value for money.”

The list was …………………