*Shannon Airport.
TO FURTHER BOOST Shannon Airport’s status as the gateway for the Ryder Cup, Clare County Council have been encouraged to introduce travel discounts at local authority owned tourism sites for passengers that fly into the International Airport.
At Monday’s Council meeting, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) tabled a proposal urging the Council to provide “an incentive of 10% discount to any passenger travelling through Shannon Airport to any of the Clare County Council managed tourist facilities and that Clare County Council in conjunction with Shannon Airport would also put a package in place to incentivise people to travel through Shannon for the Ryder Cup”.
Adare Manor will host the 2027 Ryder Cup in what will be one of the biggest sporting events to take place in the Mid-West of Ireland.
Shannon Airport’s status as a key access point for visitors to the county is underlined in the Clare Tourism Strategy, Director of Tourism Development, Leonard Cleary noted, “this avoids a long unnecessary trek across the country from Dublin Airport”.
Director Cleary committed to work with the Shannon Airport Group and test the “discount concept” with the provision of a QR code for nominated local authority operated tourism sites. Potential means of accessing this include presenting a Shannon Airport boarding pass or the QR code in the Arrivals Hall.
Using Shannon Airport for the Ryder Cup is a top priority, Cleary stressed. “Substantial advertising of this access route” will be evident to international travel operators and the commercial private aviation sector, he said.
Speaking on Monday, Cllr Ryan stated, “My intention was to promote traffic through Shannon Airport, everyone in this chamber knows Shannon Airport is the engine of this county, it generates massive employment and brings massive numbers into our county”. Travel agents in North America need to be brought on board, the Cratloe representative said.
Crowds of 40,000 per day attended the Ryder Cup in Rome, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) noted. “It is massive,” he exclaimed, “all hotels of Clare, Galway and Cork are nearly sold out already I’m told and a lot of B&Bs too”. Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) commented, “We have the product and it is about getting people to come to this area”.
An opportunity for Shannon to retain passengers following the Ryder Cup is massive, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) maintained. “During the last year looking at social media, those using Shannon Airport for the first time have said they will never go back to Dublin, we could get people in for the first time and keep them coming back”.
There are endless avenues for Shannon Airport to capitalise, Cllr John Crowe (FG) stressed, “Everyone is on a winner here. The most important thing in is a business is to get people through the door. We’re business people now because we have all the sites to run”.
Every bit of promotion will help Shannon, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) flagged. “We know large events were on in Co Clare that Clare County Council were to the forefront and Shannon Airport didn’t market itself. Clare is a fantastic county, we have shown how we can manage large events and everyone wants to come here”.
Memories of visiting Australia and getting a discount book with the subsequent determination to use it were recalled by Cllr Mary Howard (FG), “Give ourselves the designation of being the airport for the Ryder Cup”. Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) observed, “The good side of being in control of things is to be able to offer things, the creative use of that going forward will bear really good fruits”.
While Cllr Howard went Down Under with her comparisons, Cllr Michael Begley (IND) sailed across the Atlantic, “It can be summed up in a couple of words, we need to sell, sell, sell in the words of the New York Stock Exchange, we need to keep doing it”. Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) believed, “We need to change the mindset and stop people flying from Dublin”.
Plenty of activity will be visible for the Ryder Cup, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) predicted. “Going on the price of houses for a week around the time it is supposed to be massive so I look forward to seeing the amount of private jets flying in”. Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) commented, “Anything we can do as a local authority to promote Shannon in the run-up to 2027 would be much appreciated by everyone in the tourism, restaurants and hotels”.
Lahinch hosting the 2019 Irish Open was a “lost opportunity” for Shannon Airport, the bigger stage of the 2027 Ryder Cup cannot see this replicated, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) stressed. “It is example of creative thinking which leads to successful achievement,” observed Cllr PJ Kelly (FF). Discounts from Shannon will help people “remember their trip to Clare,” Cllr Ann Norton (IND) added.
