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Two tourism offices for Inishowen
23.04.10
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
INISHOWEN is to have two full time tourism offices
for 2010, the Inishowen Independent has learned.
Inishowen Tourism was due to meet this week to
discuss a new plan that will see the tourism office
in Carndonagh move from its current office at the
Diamond to Donegal County Council’s Public Services
Centre, while the organisation will also sign a
lease with Tourism Ireland to operate Buncrana’s
tourism office.
The offices will be staffed on Monday-Friday all
year round, with extended opening hours on 20
Saturdays and bank holidays during the peak summer
season. |
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The proposed move to
Buncrana had proved contentious when discussed at
last month’s Inishowen Electoral Area meeting, with
councillors from the north of the peninsula
expressing disquiet that Carndonagh would lose its
office.
However, a meeting between councillors and Inishowen |
Tourism on Tuesday
ironed out the problems and Cllr Pádraig
MacLochlainn has hailed the new plan as a great
outcome for the peninsula.
However, some shareholders in Inishowen Tourism,
most of whom were involved in setting up the
organisation 20 years ago, have expressed disquiet
at the new developments and criticised the lack of
consultation with them. Those concerns were expected
to be aired at this week's meeting.
“This is a great outcome for the tourism industry in
Inishowen,” Cllr Mac Lochlainn said. “With the
closure of the courthouse and problems with the
proposed 24-hour Garda station for Carn, there were
some sensitivities about possibly losing the tourism
office too. But we will now have an excellent
enhanced service in the Public Service Centre in the
town, and another office in Buncrana. Overall, it’s
a very positive development.”
Under the plan, Inishowen Tourism’s three full-time
staff will be split between the Carndonagh and
Buncrana offices. The staff will be supplemented by
part-time workers hired for the busy summer months.
Praising the board of Inishowen Tourism, Cllr
MacLochlainn said that they had done a tremendous
job working within the resources available to them.
“There are very good people in the organisation,
many of whom have hands-on experience of the tourism
industry,” Cllr MacLochlainn said. “They are very
ambitious and their future plans include developing
an information point at the ferry terminal in
Greencastle for visitors coming here by boat.
“The new website is also a tremendous resource,”
Cllr MacLochlainn continued. “Most visitors use the
Internet to research their trip, and they will get a
very good impression of Inishowen from the site.”
Fianna Fáil councillor Charlie McConalogue said
Tuesday’s meeting was very positive and provided an
outcome that all councillors and Inishowen Tourism
can work with. He said that the Inishowen
councillors and Inishowen Tourism will issue a joint
statement shortly on the outcome of their
discussions. Carn’s new tourism office is due to be
officially launched on May 18. |
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