IT has been well documented of late that many tourism providers in Mayo are worried that falling numbers of visitors to the county is having a detrimental effect on the viability of their businesses.
Only last week, our lead story had many quotes from business owners in Westport documenting their fears that a repeat of the trade of the summer of 2023 would put their operations in jeopardy.
So those same providers will be glad that there should be a welcome boost to visitor numbers in early February when next weekend a bumper crowd should be in attendance at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park for the big NFL clash between Mayo and Dublin.
A Saturday-night game should see a large crowd travelling from the east coast, with the majority likely to stay in hotels and Airbnb properties in the Castlebar and Westport areas.
The visiting football fans should also give a boost to the public houses and restaurants in the towns, with many choosing to socialise and enjoy a night out after the big game.
Of course, next weekend is also a Bank Holiday weekend after the Government’s introduction of the St Brigid’s Bank Holiday in early February.
Looking at the long-term picture, there is no easy way of ensuring that towns like Westport will continue to be popular with visitors from our own country and international holiday makers. The problem of a lack of hotel rooms due to the housing of refugees in many hotels and other accommodation is not going away in the short term, and the Government really needs to try to come up with solutions to tackle the ongoing problem.

Sun destinations
There is also the real problem of trying to offer value for money to holidaymakers. Many families now feel that they are much better off having their summer breaks away in less-expensive sun destinations like Spain or Portugal, with the added incentive of being able to access these destinations from Ireland West Airport Knock or Shannon Airport along the west coast.
There is no doubt that putting on big events is a surefire way of enticing holidaymakers into our county. We saw clear evidence of this in Ballina last year, when a number of fantastic events to celebrate the town’s 300 birthday attracted huge crowds to the banks of the River Moy.
So those involved in the tourism industry also need to show initiative and come together and organise worthwhile events that will make tourists really want to travel and enjoy their stays. Music concerts at venues like MacHale Park or Westport House are obvious crowd pullers, but promoters do seem to be reluctant to come west of the Shannon, as there simply isn’t the footfall you can get in the large urban areas like Dublin or Cork.
There are no simple solutions to solving the problem of falling tourist numbers, but standing idly by and just hoping against hope is simply not an option.