Poor weather and Cork accommodation issues blamed for dip in Fota visitor numbers

Attendances at Fota Wildlife Park fell by 12.5% during the year, report shows

Poor weather and issues with accommodation in the Cork area caused visitor numbers to Fota Wildlife Park to decline in 2022. Picture. Darragh Kane

The Zoological Society of Ireland (ZSI), which operates Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park, show income last year increased by €4.28m, or 21%, rising from €20.35m to €24.63m.

The €24.63m in revenues included gate income of €16.73m, while shop income increased from €2.9m to €3.7m. Annual pass and membership revenues rose from €1.79m to €2.89m.

The operating surplus of €1.09m is down 69% on the operating of surplus of €3.57m for 2021 but that figure was skewed by €2.12m in covid-19 related supports.

In her report, president of the Zoological Society of Ireland Ann Keenan said she was delighted to report that Dublin Zoo had "our highest total visitor number since our foundation in 1831”.

Ms Keenan said Dublin Zoo had a total of 1.27 million visitors, of which one million were day visitors, and a record 269,821 visitors came along to view the zoo’s Wild Lights. 

Attendances at Fota Wildlife Park in Cork fell by 12.5% during the year, from 474,794 to 415,200.

Ms Keenan said Fota Wildlife Park recorded the highest first-quarter visitation numbers experienced to date but added “inclement weather and other issues with accommodation in the Cork area caused some decline on 2021’s all-time record attendance performance".

The 2022 performance continues the rapid turnaround in the finances of the not-for-profit ZSI as Dublin Zoo had warned in late 2020 that it may run out of cash by spring of 2021 due to the pandemic impact.

Government funding

In response to the zoo's warning of running out of cash in 2020, the Government stepped in to provide Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park with €1.1m in funding to stabilise the parks’ finances while the public inundated the Save Dublin Zoo campaign with donations.

The ZSI last year received €3m in Government capital grants and the directors said with" a significant focus on cost control", the society recorded an operating surplus of €1.09m.

The group spent €5.5m on capital expenditure during 2022, and key projects included the completion of the red panda and snow leopard habitats and the commencement of works on Society House and Amur Tiger Habitat at Dublin Zoo.

The surplus last year allowed the board to increase its emergency reserve fund by €500,000, to €3m.

The money has been set aside "to help protect against any future pandemic outbreaks, the threat of zoonotic disease or any other emergency that might impact on the ongoing finances of the group”.

Staff costs last year increased from €6.07m to €7.6m as staff numbers increased from 135 to 175. Pay to 17 key management personnel totalled €1.18m.

The surplus takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €3.53m.

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