Mid-West needs to recapture its tourism ‘mojo’

IN the 1960s and 70s, Ireland’s Mid-West region was recognised as an international benchmark for tourism innovation with a Brendan O’Regan-led Shannon Development inventing everything from duty-free shopping to medieval banquets and from Irish coffee to the folk village recreations.

Of course, things were somewhat easier then.

The compulsory stopover for transatlantic airlines meant that most US visitors disembarked at Shannon Airport where, armed with the then mighty dollar, they immediately found Irish prices much to their liking.