Hotels and tourism board at war over marketing plans

A CRUNCH meeting is set to take place between representatives of 250 hotels and the board of Cork Kerry Tourism tomorrow, amid claims that the tourist marketing body has no strategic plans in place to capitalise on Cork’s success as European Capital of Culture.

Chairman of the Cork branch of the Irish Hotels’ Federation, John Gately, confirmed yesterday that both he and his Kerry counterpart, Pat Chawke, had sought the meeting with board members, which is set to take place at the Great Southern Hotel at Cork Airport.

There has been growing disquiet among Cork’s 100 hoteliers, particularly since it was suggested they should go it alone and set up a €500,000 marketing fund to further tourism aims in the city and county.

“Both branches (Cork and Kerry) are expressing concern at the lack of any visible strategy for the region after 2005,” Mr Gately, who owns the Vienna Woods and Country Club Hotel, said.

While his Kerry counterparts have expressed equal concern over future marketing, Mr Gately admitted that hoteliers there felt that Cork had got the lion’s share of promotion this year.

“Cork Kerry Tourism is the body supposed to be doing the job. It is up to Fáilte Ireland (the governing body) to sort this out,” he said.

“What we’re looking for here is quite simple. We have had a successful year in 2005, but there is no evidence that Cork-Kerry Tourism has set up a strategy to capitalise on it.”

The meeting was arranged with the help of John O’Flynn of Carrigaline Court Hotel, who is a representative on the board of Cork Kerry Tourism.

It is estimated that around 3.5 million people visited Cork and Kerry last year.

Tourism in the region is responsible for around 60,000 jobs.