House of Waterford Crystal and other projects provide Waterford tourism boost – FBD Hotels

The opening in June of the new House of Waterford Crystal visitor attraction on The Mall in Waterford is already providing a measurable boost to tourism and hospitality in the city according to FBD Hotels Ireland who operate Tower Hotel Waterford and Faithlegg House Hotel along with two hotels in Dublin.

Deirdre Houlihan, Group Marketing & Administration Manager, FBD Hotels Ireland said the resumption of factory tours for visitors and the opening of the high-end retail outlet at the new city centre location were contributing to greater interest in Waterford as a destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. "We have noticed a very encouraging step up in accommodation bookings and future enquiries since the House of Waterford Crystal opened and the outlook for the 2nd half of this year and, especially, 2011 is more positive. The proximity of the new facility also benefits our bar and restaurant trade.

"The House of Waterford Crystal is part of a wider focus on the city's tourism offering and the ambitious Viking Triangle project along with the exciting work that's to be done in delivering Diarmuid Gavin-designed gardens at the former Bishop's Palace and a museum in that building is also very exciting and helping to build confidence in Waterford's future as a quality destination with a lot to offer."

Catherina Dempsey, acting General Manager, Tower Hotel Waterford, added: "The greatly improved road and rail access to the city from the major population centres in greater Dublin as well as the ferry routes to Rosslare and scheduled services at Waterford Airport help ensure convenience for those visitors who decide to come here. Festivals like Spraoi are also a huge boost and their new July and August format appears to be working very effectively. The other huge upcoming attraction for the city is – of course – The Tall Ships Races 2011 and we certainly anticipate a tremendous business boost from that and a great legacy in terms of raising our city's positive profile nationally and internationally.

"Deirdre and her colleagues on the marketing team are doing a lot of proactive work with inbound and Irish tour operators to raise awareness of what the city and the hotel have to offer. We completed the refurbishment of almost 40 of the guest bedrooms at Tower Hotel Waterford earlier this year and that is also helping drive repeat business in particular.

"In general, there is a renewed confidence and ambition across the tourism and hospitality sector in Waterford with a determination to seize every opportunity that arises and to make things happen rather than waiting for someone else to. The city looks better than ever and there are very exciting plans for further improvements to key public areas – all of which will help make Waterford more attractive to visitors and deliver a better quality of life for those of us living here."

Tower Hotel and Faithlegg House Hotel Waterford are Commodore Patrons for Waterford's hosting of The Tall Ships Races 2011.