Galway Bay fm newsroom - A stimulus package worth nearly €500,000 has been approved for Galway's tourism sector.
At a meeting of Galway City Council this week, councillors authorised the immediate draw down of €480,000 from the Marketing Reserve Fund - which had been previously earmarked for major tourism events.
The funds will be used for various initiatives identified under the Galway City Tourism Strategy 2020 - including voucher systems and advertising campaigns which aim to attract visitors to Galway.
It also includes the formation of a Tourism Task Force which will comprise representatives from the hospitality and tourism sector in Galway, as well as members of Galway Chamber of Commerce.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the local authority, Brendan McGrath told city councillors that Galway City's Revenue Budget will see a reduction in the collection of commercial rates - to the tune of some 25 million euro.
It's understood the council is awaiting confirmation from central government on how this imbalance will be redressed.
Fianna Fáil Councillor Peter Keane, who proposed the drawdown of the funds, says the local authority must protect the huge numbers employed in the city's tourism industry.
