Killarney reports upbeat Christmas season

THE annual Christmas in Killarney extravaganza is a major success but a lack of funding could signal its demise in the future if not properly addressed. That’s according to some of the findings discussed at a Killarney Chamber and Tourism Alliance thinktank in the Killarney Avenue Hotel.

For the most part the meeting outlined the hugely positive benefits of the festival and its attractions with record crowds recorded in 2018 in the lead up to Christmas.

Christmas in Killarney ran from late November to early January and generated a staggering level of revenue for the town. Anthony Walsh of the Chamber’s Retail Committee, said that feedback from the grocery sector showed a three per cent rise at Christmas, while High Street retailers reported hikes of between three to 12 per cent.

The Killarney Outlet Centre reported a four per cent rise in visitors (140,222) for December - up on the previous year. The meeting also found that Killarney ‘punched above its weight’ relative to other towns of similar size in Ireland, and there was plenty of cross-agreement that Christmas in Killarney is crucial for engineering footfall, creating unique festive experience.

The survey revealed the popularity of the temporary ice rink, while nine out of 10 visitors said they stayed in town to shop or eat afterwards. Significantly, 97 per cent said they would return to Killarney.

The Killarney INEC also reported a hike in ticket sales, which has the ability to create secondary spending. In December, the INEC sold close to 40,000 tickets, with 20,000 of those bought by people outside of Kerry; 12,000 from Kerry, and almost 8,000 from the Killarney area.

Spokesman for the INEC, Mark Egan, said the recent studies show that every €1 spent on a show ticket is equal to €6.06 in additional revenue to the town. Based on this figure, it means a yield of €8 million for the local economy between December 2018 and early January 2019.

Christmas in Killarney Festival Chairperson, Kate O’Leary said the event, which is now in its 14th year, costs in the region of €50,000 to run and has bounced back from financial stress two years ago with new additions in 2018. But while the festival is now ‘back in the black’ according to Miss O’Leary, generating the finance required is a constant uphill battle.

“It is time to forge ahead, really improve the offering, and stay ahead of all of the towns that are trying to do what we do – but we know we can do it better,” Kate said.

Photo by Don MacMonagle Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce’s annual review of festivals in the Killarney Avenue Hotel. Pictured at the event were (from left), Niall Kelleher, Paul Sherry, President, Kellie O’Doherty, Frank Doran and Bernadette Randles.

Photo by Don MacMonagle From left: Anthony Walshe, Mike Tangney, Paul Sherry, President, Mark Egan and Kate O’Leary.

Photo by Don MacMonagle Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce held the annual review of festivals in the Killarney Avenue Hotel this week. Pictured at the event are from left, Paul O’Neill, Mike Buckley, Danielle Favier and Johnny Maguire.

Photo by Don MacMonagle From left: Shane O’Driscoll, Kate O’Leary, Paul Sherry, President and Mary MacMonagle.