'Sub-standard' Cliffs of Moher visitor centre 'a victim of its own success' as upgrade is announced

Clare County Council is to put in place a new masterplan to rejuvenate visitor facilities at the country’s most popular natural visitor attraction, the Cliffs of Moher.

It comes after the Council admitted that the existing visitor facilities at the Cliffs of Moher “strains to be fit for purpose” and are ‘now rather overwhelmed’ during peak times with visitor numbers projected to increase to almost two million by 2025.

It is 12 years since the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience (COMVE) was opened at a cost of €30m.

The existing visitor centre made up of retail, café/restaurant and interpretative facilities is housed almost entirely underground - the spend also included a significant upgrading of the walkways and viewing areas at the Cliffs.

However the Council, in making the case for additional visitor infrastructure at the centre said that existing systems at the CoMVE are "sub-standard" and that the attraction “is a victim of its own success”.

The Council points out that the infrastructure and arrival facilities at the site were originally designed and constructed for a visitor population of 400,000, which now numbers 1.5 million and which is projected to rise to almost two million by 2025.

The tender documentation for consultants to prepare a Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040 said: “The infrastructure and facilities necessary to cater for this projected level of population increase need to be planned for and put in place now.

“The existing systems are now sub-standard and make increasingly difficult the delivery of a world class visitor experience.”

The Council critique of the existing facilities said that “visitors are put off by queues at all service points, toilets and restaurant. At times visitors may not be able to gain entry to the visitor centre due to the crowds”.

The Council said that the facilities “are at capacity from February through to the end of October” and this is due to the geographical location of the Cliffs of Moher, its functioning as a coach tour lunch time stop and the concentrated volume of visitors.

Now, the Council is requesting parties to come in as part of the new strategy to draw up a masterplan; a cafe and retail design concept; appropriate interpretative concepts and costings and toilet facilities.

The Council is seeking consultants to prepare a visitor experience masterplan for a rejuvenated visitor hub, a new building and site campus.

The tender documentation said: “The hub and new building should be capable of providing the visitor with a gateway that will unlock a multiple of new tourist experiences in a safe and informative manner.

“With the international emergence of destination food and retail offers as part of tourism facilities, an opportunity exists to develop a facility or series of facilities that could bring to the market a range of both culinary and retail experiences.

“The challenge is to deliver a world-class visitor experience utilising best practice visitor management and environmental management principles to ensure the future of the natural assets is safeguarded and conserved as well as minimizing any adverse effects on the quality of life for those who live in the area.”

The Council said that they expect the final strategy to be issued in December 2020.

The closing date for tenders to carry out the project is July 15, next.