Great value in Donegal tourism - ‘we need to get the message out there’

The influx of tourists to Ireland in the coming weeks is a great opportunity to encourage visitors to Donegal, says Cllr Micheál Naughton.

The councillor, who is manager of the Clanree Hotel, says there will inevitably be negative messages nationally about the price of accommodation and other tourism services.

He believes that while that is indeed the case in Dublin, this is something on which Donegal can capitalise.

Cllr Naughton told the March meeting of the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal: “We need to come out with a campaign saying it is exceptional value for money in Donegal. 

“People talk about lack of accommodation but a lot of places are still down for Easter bookings. 

“Mothers’ Day wasn’t as busy as expected.”

The councillor said a lot of businesses are under huge pressure, leading to challenges in the area of pricing.

“When things are hard you have to cut your cloth to suit your measure,” he said.  “Advertising costs, the cost of living, we all know that from our own shopping. 

“It is very hard for businesses to get prices right. If they are high, people won’t come but we have to meet our costs. 

“And we have to look at the VAT rate again. 

“ But this is a big chance for us to get our message out there. 

“We are celebrating the Wild Atlantic Way’s 10th anniversary. There is an opportunity to piggy back that and show that we have great value up here.”