Poor air access hits the west

POOR direct international air access is resulting in a decline in commercial activity in the west.

Tourism is a key employer in the area with almost 24,000 people working in accommodation and food service in 2010. However, the Western Development Commission (WDC) said the sector has been in decline and without better international air connections, the tourism industry will remain at a competitive disadvantage.

It said the growth in popularity of ‘short-break’ tourism, coupled with the inaccessibility of the Western Region compared with other regions, has made it difficult to compete.

The north-west’s share of national tourism revenue fell from 5.7% in 2003 to 4.5% in 2009, while the west’s fell from 13.5% to 12%.

The WDC said the potential of improved air access in driving tourism growth is clear from the case of Dublin where the significant increase in passenger numbers through Dublin Airport between 2003 and 2008 (up 48.2%) was reflected in an increase in overseas visits to the region (up 25%).

It said, in a European context, Dublin is the only region in Ireland with air accessibility above the EU average, with the western region scoring well below.

Policy analyst at the WDC, Deirdre Frost said: “Instead of policies which funnel international air access through the state airports, and in particular through Dublin Airport, direct international air access to and from the Western Region’s ‘regional’ airports needs to be maximised... as well as making the most of this infrastructure.”

The WDC said ‘regional’ airports, outside of state ownership, are important international access points serving local and regional demand and that their role should not just be expressed in terms of supporting links to and from state airports.