The Volvo Ocean Race has delivered a much-needed boost to the local economy during its two-week Galway stopover.
Sponsors of the Green Dragon, Failte Ireland, have calculated that 220,000 people have visited the race village already - a figure well above the 140,000 target - with about 60 per cent having travelled to the city from outside Galway.
Saturday hosted the largest crowd to date with some 62,000 in the race village for the in-pot racing, and this was reflected in occupancy figures in city hotels.
According to Fáilte Ireland West manager Fiona Monaghan, the 55 hotels in the Galway achieved a 90 per cent occupancy rate last Friday,while they were completely full for the following two days of the Bank Holiday weekend.
“Saturday was probably the best night’s business we have ever had,” said Jiri Selmat, the restaurant manager at The House Hotel, which has 40 rooms. “All the rooms were booked and we nearly ran out of beer in the bar.”
“We did about 75 per cent extra business in the bar and 25 per cent more on the rooms,” added Mary Cullinane, the manager at the Victoria Hotel. “Tell the race to come back every week.”
The weatherplayed a huge part as some 120,000 people lined the Salthill Promenade to see the Red Arrows’ acrobatics display prior to the in-port racing.
Matt Skeffington of Artisan Restaurant, Quay Street said the event had “showcased Galway to a new spectre of people, including the domestic market who did not regularly visit Galway .
“It was great to see the city businesses supporting each other for this event, along with local Galway families coming out each evening which does not normally occur,” he said.
Seamus Sheridan of Sheridans Bar & Restaurant said the sunshine was a blessing.
“The timing of the weather could not have been any better and it is wonderful to see for the first time in six months that people in Ireland are enjoying themselves again and how this global tourism exposure has not just benefitted Galway, but Ireland as a whole.”
Eoin McCambridge, the manager of McCambridge’s, reported an increase in takings of about 10 per cent. “Our takings have probably been up about 10 per cent, but the atmosphere in town has been just great. I sail myself and love the event.”
As a result Failte Ireland believes the race stopover will achieve its €43 million target - a figure its director John Concannon said was one of the criteria Failte Ireland indentified as a necessary return for its €8 million sponsorship.
Fiona Monaghan believes its success can also be attributed to the co-operation of local businesses with 90 per cent of local hotels having signed up to a charter stating that prices would not be hiked in order to maximise income from the visitors.
“It has been brilliant,” Monaghan added. “This is the biggest event to ever come to the west of Ireland.”
