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Galway - The Festival Capital of Ireland

By John G Vincent

Galway is the festival capital Ireland. It has a thriving youth culture and a richly diverse blend of events and attractions throughout the year. It is a vibrant, friendly city and a powerful magnet for tourists from all over the world.

‘Going to Galway’ has become synonymous with ‘going on holiday’ or ‘getting away from it all’. ‘Going to Galway’ means stepping off the treadmill of life and entering that other dimension where imagination reigns supreme, where fun and merriment dictate your progress from day to day.

Galway is celebrated for its lively pubs, atmospheric restaurants and dynamic street entertainment. There are concerts, displays and exhibitions throughout the year. Music, conversation and laughter seem to emanate from the very walls.

The Galway Races, Galway Arts Festival and the Galway Oyster Festival are three of the most successful events in Ireland and, as such, attract many thousands of new and returning visitors annually. Bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation in Galway is understandably at a premium during these events and is usually booked well in advance by regular visitors and devotees.

According to a recent Bord Failte report, mainland Europe produced the strongest growth in overseas visitors to Ireland with significant increases from France, Spain and the Nordic countries, and good growth from Italy, Germany and Switzerland. In addition, the emerging markets in Eastern and Central Europe continue to generate significant increases.

The report added that visitor satisfaction levels with their holiday in Ireland remained high in 2007: “For 93% their holiday either exceeded or matched their expectations and 98% said they would recommend a holiday in Ireland. Their satisfaction with specific elements of their holiday here was very consistent: beautiful scenery (90%); friendly people (86%); natural, unspoilt environment (80%); and safety and security (78%).”

Thousands of these visitors gravitate unerringly to Galway beguiled by the city’s magical reputation and a host of travellers’ tales.

John G Vincent has written for numerous newspapers and online journals. He is regular contributor to http://www.galwaybedandbreakfasts.com - a website dedicated to helping tourists and holidaymakers find the most suitable hotel, bed and breakfast and holiday cottage accommodation in Galway and its adjoining counties.

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