Thursday 28th September 2006

UEFA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR LANSDOWNE A MAJOR COUP FOR TOURISM,
IHF STATES

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has strongly welcomed the announcement by UEFA that the new-look Lansdowne Road stadium will play host to a Champions League or UEFA Cup final in the future, stating it is a major coup for Ireland and for the tourism sector. In the wake of the hugely successful Ryder Cup event last weekend, the IHF said this announcement is a further endorsement of Ireland as a host country for major events.

However, the Federation warned that adequate infrastructure is vital to Ireland being able to attract large international events, and urged the timely completion of the Lansdowne Road project and the National Conference Centre so that it can compete effectively in attracting international events in the future.

Commenting on the announcement, John Power, Chief Executive, IHF, said that the tourism industry will benefit hugely from events such as this: “This is a fantastic endorsement of Ireland’s ability to host major sporting events. The Champions League and UEFA Cup are hugely popular events in the football calendar attracting massive attendance and TV audiences.”

“The success of the Ryder Cup has really set the scene, showing the world our capabilities and putting Ireland on the map for large-scale events. The importance of having adequate infrastructure and facilities in place, if we are to build on that success, cannot be overstated. Both the Lansdowne Road and National Conference Centre projects are key elements in the future development of our tourism industry, and every effort should now be made to ensure they are delivered as speedily as possible with no unnecessary delays,” Mr Power concludes.

ENDS

For information:

Niamh Boylan Tel: 01 6760168 / 086 3809191
Weber Shandwick FCC