Cliffs of Moher highlights safety risk of visitors taking 'Instagram-worthy' photos near cliff edge

Implementation of the 2040 strategy 'is projected to generate an overall income of €36m from visitor spend and employ more than 300 people'. Images: cliffsofmoher.ie

A new masterplan for the Cliffs of Moher aims to deliver €36m in annual revenues but the strategy highlights safety risks from people seeking 'Instagram worthy' photos on the unstable cliff edges. 

The Cliffs of Moher is the country’s most popular natural tourist attraction. Last year, 1.1 million people visited the site.

A 2040 re-development plan aims to deliver a new "world class" visitor attraction and "a more profitable and robust operation for the future”.

The strategy highlighted the existing shortcomings of the facilities and the risky behaviour of people seeking "Instagram-worthy" photo opportunities along the unstable cliff edge.

According to the 139-page document, the implementation of the 2040 strategy “is projected to generate an overall income of €36m from visitor spend and employ more than 300 people”.

The authors say the new strategy will result in “rather than just a photo-stop, the core experience for every visitor will be a paced emotional journey that maximises the exhilaration of the final cliff view”.

Masterplan

The masterplan includes the development of a new "gateway" building, the conversion of the existing visitor centre into an interpretative hub, a new footbridge and a new cliff-edge walk that includes a variety of new engineered viewing platforms that will bring visitors at some points over the cliff's edge, where views are particularly dramatic.

The core concept for the future development of the Cliffs of Moher is to create a 'wilder, back-to-nature experience with a high-quality arrival to commence the visitor journey.

The core concept for the future development of the Cliffs of Moher is to create a "wilder, back-to-nature experience with a high-quality arrival to commence the visitor journey", the report says.

The total spending of visitors to the Cliffs of Moher is projected to be over €300m a year in the wider economy, which will support over 8,000 tourism jobs.

The authors says the implementation of the strategy “will result in significantly increased economic benefits at site, local, regional and national level”.

The report says that in 2019, the Clare Co Council-owned visitor attraction generated €18m in estimated revenues and estimated operating profits of €9.7m.

Admission income makes up 90% of the current Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience income.

The new strategy says the “the operational surplus from the Cliffs of Moher site is projected to increase by more than double”.

It is silent on the scale of admission price income required to part fund the capital cost of the works, saying only “admission charges for the Cliffs of Moher will change in line with the development of the new facilities and to reflect the world-class status of the new and expanded visitor offer”.

Visitor dissatisfaction

The anticipated hike in prices comes against the background of what the report calls as “high levels of dissatisfaction from a small minority of visitors on TripAdvisor relating primarily to a feeling that they are paying for parking at a natural heritage site that should be free to access”.

The report adds: "This is compounded by a sense of resentment that visitors walking along the public footpaths on either side of the visitor experience are accessing the same site for free. 

"As visitors presume that tickets are for parking rather than for access to visitor facilities, there is further dissatisfaction that entry fees are per person rather per car, leading to negative perceptions of value for money.” 

Masterplan includes the development of a new 'gateway' building, the conversion of the existing visitor centre into an interpretative hub, a new footbridge and a new cliff-edge walk

The plan seeks to sharply increase revenue and profits while at the same time capping visitor numbers at peak periods at 2019 levels.

It doesn't put a price tag on the redevelopment and only states it will result “in major capital investment on the site”.

The total capital cost “will depend on the final scope of works, the scheme design and phasing”.

The blueprint adds that the long-term vision for the Cliffs of Moher “will create outstanding visitor experiences, implement sustainable transport measures and create a network of new access links through integrated greenways”.

It says these initiatives will encourage visitors to disperse across the area, bringing enhanced social and economic benefits for local communities.

The authors say a new environmental management approach, for an expanded Cliffs of Moher site, will create a truly “wild” experience in a more natural and dramatic landscape.

Director of the Cliffs of Moher Experience  Geraldine Enright said: “This strategy presents an exciting opportunity to reimagine and reshape the visitor experience and wider site at the Cliffs of Moher and to further enhance this world-class attraction for the benefit of visitors and the wider community in Co Clare.” 

Ms Enright said the strategy was driven by the need to protect the environment, cap the visitor numbers and strike a balance between tourism within the community.

On the need for new facilities, the size and capacity of the existing visitor centre facilities “are not equipped to deal with the volume of visitors at peak time, which leads to long queues and crowded spaces that are difficult to navigate”.

The report also says the centre’s "catering facilities are consistently the worst rated element of the visitor attraction, mainly due to long queues, poor signage and limited menu choice”.

'Major safety hazard'

The existing paths beyond the visitor experience “are a major safety hazard due to their proximity to the unstable cliff-edge and unpredictable weather conditions”.

It says “visitors rarely heed the warnings in situ and seek to get as close to the edge as possible to take Instagram-worthy photographs”.

The capital cost of the strategy will encompass direct investment from Clare County Council, including reinvestment from the projected annual operational surplus from the Cliffs of Moher Experience, and commercial loans.

The project will also seek substantial grant aid from a range of sources including Fáilte Ireland, European and national funding programmes and specialist enterprise, tourism, environmental and development bodies.

The council is to stage a public information meeting on the draft 2040 Strategy at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon on Wednesday, September 20, from 6.30pm.