The Shannon Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) held the second annual Midwest Tourism Ball at the Limerick Strand Hotel on Monday, with over 400 attendees on the night.
The ball is part of a drive to raise funds for local tourism initiatives in the Mid-West region including Tipperary, Clare and Limerick.
Following on from last year’s success, 'Guest of Honour' on the night, Minister Michael Noonan, received an award in recognition of his contribution to the region (including the maintenance of the VAT rate, abolition of the airport tax, an independent Shannon Airport and many other tourism initiatives that the government have undertaken, including most recently the Wild Atlantic Way).
Noonan gave a passionate speech to the industry reassuring tourism businesses of the support that government is putting in place, in particular for SMEs. Stephen McNally, president of the IHF, spoke about the possibilities offered by Shannon Airport and the drive of the industry in the region. He also recognised the importance of retention of the VAT rate for a tourism industry which has provided nearly 24,000 thousand jobs this year alone.
