Councillor wants Sligo presence at Knock airport
SLIGO is not being actively promoted enough at Knock Airport, despite the Council pumping ¤ 50,000 annually into the Mayo hub.
That’s according to both Director of Services Dorothy Clarke and Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady.
Both women were speaking during a debate on tourism at a Special Policy Committee on Economic Development last week.
Ms Clarke said more could be gained from Sligo’s annual payment of ¤ 50,000 to Knock Airport: “If we’re paying the airport it’s there to help us too,” she said.
“That’s something we will be working on in the future,” she added.
Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady said a Sligo presence was needed at Knock Airport.
“We need to be reminding them every month. I was there recently and I asked someone where should I go. They said to go South. I mentioned Sligo and they weren’t interested,” said Cllr O’Grady.
Ms Clarke said Fáilte Ireland were targetting the tourist market north of Galway: “This certainly needs to be done. We do need Fáilte Ireland to prioritise this region,” said Ms Clarke.
She said adventure and activities, arts and culture were going to be key to Sligo’s success.
Ms Clarke said there was currently a gap in the market for a Calendar of Events type portal.
Sligo. ie website and app, which are hosted by Sligo County Council, will be enhanced. She admitted that “expertise will have to be brought in” for digital marketing to promote the county better online. The Conference market is another area where Sligo could gain. “The Conference market is way more lucrative than any adventure market,” said Ms Clarke.
“It would warrant coming together and looking at how we could attract some small international conference to Sligo,” she said.