Tourism site leaves Waterford off map

BUSINESS and tourism leaders in Waterford are furious with the country’s tourist agencies after the city was omitted from a map on the Meet in Ireland website.

The initiative was compiled by Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

The map of Ireland on the site shows Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Kilkenny — but not Waterford or Wexford.

The site offers information and resources to facilitate and support the organisation of corporate events in Ireland and to find hotels, venues and conference facilities for those seeking them.

However, while Waterford Regional Airport is marked, there has been criticism in the city because Waterford has been “overlooked”.

Waterford Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Garland yesterday said: “Waterford is off the radar in terms of this Meet in Ireland initiative.

“There’s a bigger picture here. If an international group or person looks at Ireland to do something and Waterford is not even on the map, we may not even exist in their eyes and that’s not on.”

This is not the first time that Waterford’s omission from a map has caused outrage. It is still not placed on the TV3 overhead map, despite many complaints to the channel some years ago.

“Our region supports 500,000 people and is a gateway city,” said Mr Garland. “The absolute minimum we have to do is to be seen on a map.

“We do get some big events here and the majority of conferences going on around the world are small anyway.”

Mr Garland said that rectification has also been made in relation to omissions or difficulties with images on Google Maps and the AA because of lobbying.

However, Waterford is still missing from the TV3 map.

“If you’re not even on a map, you don’t get any enquiries — from anywhere.”

Fáilte Ireland spokesman Alex Connolly yesterday said that no promotional business group from Waterford was currently working with Meet in Ireland.

“The website reflects the situation as it is today — those parts of the country where businesses have come together and formed business marketing groups and are working with us at the moment, they are in place on the map,” he said.

“But if a group of businesses in Waterford want to form a conference group, we’re willing to work with them and we’re willing to advance that.

“And, by doing so, Waterford would be reflected on the website.”