Traffic congestion, overcrowded streets, litter, poor roads and signposting are the principal causes of dissatisfaction identified by visitors to Galway, according to a report published last Friday. The report is based on a survey of 1,245 tourists and 1,000 day trippers carried out between May and October by Galway RTC for the local chamber of commerce.
When asked to compare their expectations with the reality they found in the city, many said service was "better than expected". The friendliness and hospitality of the people, and the county's outstanding scenery, were also singled out for praise.
However, the report says the tourists found traffic and parking "much worse than expected" and many felt the city also had a litter problem.
Other findings include:
Word of mouth is by far the most influential means of persuading people to visit Galway. Fifty-two per cent of respondents said the opinion of friends and relatives was the decisive factor in choosing to come to the city, compared to the 11 per cent who were swayed by Bord Failte's promotional efforts.
Most visitors to Galway are Irish (34 per cent), followed by people travelling from Britain (17 per cent), the US (15 per cent) and Germany and Northern Ireland (8 per cent each). When compared to a similar survey in 1994, the figures show more visitors are coming from Northern Ireland and Britain, while the market share held by US and continental visitors has declined.
Galway is attracting a strong leisure market, which is dominated by domestic tourism. Increased congestion on the city's streets from local traffic is compounded by the 82 per cent of visitors who travel to the city by car.
Visitors to Galway stay an average of 3.5 days, compared to an average length of stay of visitors to Ireland of just over 10 days. "Galway is not benefiting from the `short break' overseas market from Europe in the way that the east coast benefits," the report says.
More than 88 per cent of visitors feel that culture is an important or very important part of their visit. They would like to experience more Irish music, attend traditional festivals and hear more Irish. "A large surge of interest was expressed by domestic tourists in hearing more of the Irish language spoken in Galway," the report says.