Clare County Council, which runs the Cliffs of Moher Experience, has informed Coach and Tour operators of increased charges for the 2021 season. As part of the customer agreement that operators received, they must sign up in order to receive the proposed new rates. 

Members of the Coach Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC) are surprised that in a new tourist season that will a best be challenging and most likely be non-existent, the operators would consider increasing charges. Nobody can be sure when visitors will start to come back in any significant numbers but in the short term it is likely that operators of tourist attractions will be competing for business. It will likely be plenty of supply with little demand as the tourist economy recovers.

CTTC Chairman John Halpenny said that the future for the sector is precarious and uncertain. He said that while it did look good for a return to school services were assured, all that changed at Christmas as the Covid-19 virus entered a second wave. “We don’t know what the future holds for the tourist sector yet, but this year certainly does not look good. Nobody could start to predict when a recovery will come. I really hope Clare County Council would re-consider their proposal to increase charges, it certainly does not send out a positive signal, particularly when hotels and other businesses’ around the country are going out of their way to offer good value to potential visitors.”