Tourists Wild about Atlantic Way

Overseas tourists were ‘driven wild by the Atlantic Way’ and visited Galway and the West of Ireland in record numbers last year.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures prove that 2014 was the best year since 2007 for tourism in Galway and the West as overseas visitor numbers returned to record ‘boom’ time figures.

Local tourism industry chiefs predict that 2015 will be even busier as word spreads about the Wild Atlantic Way, a brand specifically developed to compete internationally for overseas tourists.

Fiona Monaghan, head of operations at Fáilte Ireland West, said it is encouraging that overseas visitor numbers to Ireland grew in 2014, which was the year after the Gathering (2013).

“Last year was well up on the previous year and 2014 was our best year since 2007. We are only now returning to 2007 levels and we are confident that we can build on that again in 2015 with the Wild Atlantic Way,” said Ms Monaghan.

Ms Monaghan said that Ireland’s overseas markets only returned to growth in 2012 and 2013, helped by the Gathering, which was boosted by North American and British tourists.

What is encouraging about the latest statistics for 2014 is that all markets – including mainland Europe that doesn’t have a big Diaspora returning as part of the Gathering – have now returned to growth.

She explained that over 50 travel writers were guests of Fáilte Ireland along the Wild Atlantic Way last year and the boost from that exposure is only going to ‘kick-in’ in terms of bookings and visits in 2015.

Fáilte Ireland will continue to promote and further developer the Wild Atlantic Way this year, she said, in order to drive tourism numbers to Galway and the West, including through online social media and traditional outlets.

In Connemara, for example, almost €1 million has been allocated for a tourist discovery point in Connemara, one of 15 along the Wild Atlantic Way, which will be completed before the yearend.

The point, to improve the visitors experience, will celebrate the Marconi Wireless Station, the world’s first transatlantic station in 1907, and the site where Alcock and Brown landed, marking the first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919.

One of the challenges facing Galway and the West was that over 70% of all overseas tourists visit the East coast.

“Particularly the British, which is our biggest market, and so we will be trying to attract more of them to the West. Galway, which is mid-way along the Wild Atlantic Way, and which is the largest urban centre on the Wild Atlantic Way, is ideally placed to be a starting point, or finishing point for visitors to the Wild Atlantic Way due to its proximity to Dublin and access to Shannon Airport and Ireland West Airport in Knock,” she said.

The Wild Atlantic Way stretches along the west coast from Donegal down to Cork. It is designed to attract overseas visitors, and particularly to boost visitor numbers in the off-season, with unique out-of-season pursuits such as whale watching or storm-watching.

The CSO tourism figures reveal that at over 7.6 million visits, overall trips to Ireland were up 8.9% in 2014 compared to 2013. Visits from mainland Europe grew by 7.1% in 2014, to 2,638,100 visits; North America registered an increase of 14.7% for 2014 (1,328,600 visits); visits from Great Britain were up by 8.0% for 2014 (3,163,900 visits); visits from the rest of the world (mostly long-haul and developing markets) totalled 473,800 for 2014 (representing an increase of 8.7%).

“We are very optimistic that the Wild Atlantic Way will continue to delivery growth in overseas numbers to Galway and the West of Ireland in 2015,” added Ms Monaghan.

Fáilte Ireland West held an industry workshop with businesses in Salthill Hotel on Wednesday of this week.