Hoteliers: Waterford Crystal must be kept uniquely Irish

HOTELIERS have warned that tourism will suffer if the Waterford Crystal brand is not preserved as a uniquely Irish product.

Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) president Matthew Ryan said the brand was part of Ireland’s national identity and was as important as Guinness, Kerrygold and Jameson, and locations such as Blarney and Killarney, for Ireland’s image as a tourist destination.

“These iconic brands, together with the experience of visitors who have come to Ireland, are among the strongest tools we have in marketing Ireland abroad as a attractive destination. The implications for tourism can not be overstated,” he said.

The IHF called for “decisive government intervention” on the issue. “We must leave no stone unturned to ensure this valuable asset is preserved for Ireland. Any solution must see the continuation of a crystal manufacturing operation in Waterford.”

Mr Ryan said it was also essential that the Waterford Crystal visitor centre, which attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year to the Kilbarry manufacturing plant, be retained as a tourist amenity.

“It is a major driver of tourism in the south-east region and provides holidaymakers with a compelling reason to visit the area. It is vital that the Government, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland work closely with Waterford Crystal to ensure that Ireland continues to benefit from such a quality brand.”

The South-East Regional Authority echoed the calls, warning that the loss of close to 800 jobs from the crystal operation would be a devastating blow to the local and regional economy.

Chairman Michael Fitzgerald said the region was already trying to absorb the impact of last year’s job losses at Waterford Crystal which were among 1,800 redundancies in local companies in recent times.

“The south-east region’s employment situation is worsening at an alarming rate with the most recent unemployment rate standing at 7.7%, above the national rate of 7%,” said Mr Fitzgerald.

“This region is not getting the attention it deserves from government and the industrial development agencies.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Wedgwood family which founded the Wedgwood pottery operation in Britain, now also in jeopardy as a result of the entire Waterford Wedgwood group going into receivership, has questioned the way the firm was run since Waterford took it over in 1986.

Industry consultant Tom Wedgwood, whose family are no longer directly involved in the firm, queried the wisdom of outsourcing production from its home of 250 years in Stoke to Indonesia. “My concern is that you go and talk to people in Japan and if they know the products aren’t made in the UK, they won’t buy them,” he told the BBC.

The decision to outsource production was also taken in relation to Waterford products with low-cost plants in Eastern Europe taking over much of the manufacturing.