Cork County Council is to begin an investigation into the possibility of keeping the tourist office in Skibbereen open.
CORK County Council is to begin an investigation into the possibility of keeping the tourist office in Skibbereen open.
Following on from The Southern Star’s story last week about fear for the future of the office, coupled with a statement from Failte Ireland that they will not continue to lease the popular tourist office building, there have been calls for Cork County Council to take the important tourist access point under their control.
‘This office is vitally important for tourists travelling to Skibbereen and beyond,’ Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said. ‘We need to sort this out immediately and not wait for 2019 before we get our act together. Cork County Council owns the building and it is very important for the area has a tourist point of contact and this office is very valuable to this part of West Cork. If we’re serious about promoting and selling what we have here in West Cork, it is vital that we keep this office open.’
‘It is a very worrying development,’ Cllr Paul Hayes (SF) said. ‘I got a letter last week from Skibbereen Chamber of Commerce saying that they had a meeting with Failte Ireland and that they would not be taking the lease on the tourist office in 2019. We have to put a lot of urgency on this and keep this tourist office open at all costs.’
Responding to the councillors’ calls for Cork County Council to ensure that the tourist office remains open, Sharon Corcoran, director of services, agreed that there should be a presence on the ground in the town for visitors to West Cork. Ms Corcoran told the Council that her department would be conducting a survey into the number of people using the service in and the footfall and that they would then report back to the Council.
