Cllr Keith Martin has called on the OPW and Failte Ireland to meet with Westport Town Council to discuss the future of Westport's Tourist Office.
Cllr Martin made his call at Thursday night's meeting of Westport Town Council. Cllr Martin has learned that Failte Ireland has not yet made a decision on the OPW's request to surrender their long term lease on the Georgian building which is owned by the OPW.
Cllr Martin has already written to Failte Ireland echoing Sean Staunton's call for Failte Ireland not to surrender the lease citing what Cllr Martin calls as "huge local opposition and concern" over the plan to relocate the operations of Westport Labour Exchange currently on Prospect Avenue off John's Row, to the present location of the town's tourist office on James Street.
Cllr Martin continued "This is bad news for Westport. Our town is a tourism town, tourism is the life blood of this town and the Tourist Office on James Street is the beating heart of our tourism industry."
Responding for Paul Hayden, Head of Visitor Engagement, Failte Ireland says that "on-going discussions are taking place between OPW and Fáilte Ireland on this matter. No decision has been taken as yet."
Cllr Martin has also called on Minister Michael Ring to intervene to stop the proposed relocation of the tourist office.
"Westport Town Council, Westport Chamber of Commerce, Failte Ireland predecessors and others lobbied for years for our town to get a full time full sized tourist office and now the OPW is proposing to take that away from us in the year of the Gathering.
Westport Tourist Office is a monument and symbol of our thriving tourism industry, the OPW want to turn it into a monument of the recession."
Cllr Martin has also been in touch with Minister Leo Varadkar and Junior Minister Alan Kelly.
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Dear Councillor Martin,
I refer to your email of the 2nd September 2013 to Fáilte Ireland's communication division, regarding Westport Tourist Office.
I wish to advise you that on-going discussions are taking place between OPW and Fáilte Ireland on this matter. No decision has been taken as yet.
Kind regards
Paul Hayden
Head of Visitor Engagement | Fáilte Ireland | Áras Fáilte | 88 - 95 Amiens St | Dublin 1
T: +353 (01) 884 7790 | M: 086 162 5290
Dear Minister,
I am writing to you to seek your support in the matter of the OPW plan to move Westport's Tourist Officefrom it's Georgian Period building on James Street to a former shop unit on Bridge Street.
There is huge local opposition and concern over the plan to relocate the operations of Westport Labour Exchange currently on Prospect Avenue off John's Row, to the present location of the town's touristoffice on James Street.
This is bad news for Westport. Our town is a tourism town, tourism is the life blood of this town and theTourist Office on James Street is the beating heart of our tourism industry.
Westport Town Council, Westport Chamber of Commerce, Failte Ireland predecessors and others lobbied for years for our town to get a full time full sized tourist office and now the OPW is proposing to take that away from us in the year of the Gathering.
It's crazy to move the Tourist Office from it's iconic position of more than a decade simply to facilitate the dole office. The Dole office site on Prospect Avenue should be redeveloped. There is ample room for expansion and a second storey there.
I would ask you to explain to the OPW why their plan is unsuitable for Westport.
Sincerely
Keith Martin
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