THE Aqua Dome, Kerry’s number one fee paying visitor attraction will remain closed for the remainder of the year and it’s possible that this will continue to be the situation until Easter 2021.
The directors of the Aqua Dome considered the recommended regulations to keep staff and customers safe during the Covid-19 pandemic and decided that it is not advisable to re-open the attraction in Tralee at this time.
The Chairman of the Aqua Dome, Denis Reen, said: “We very much regret that we are forced to make this decision as we are very much aware of the negative impact of this on our valued staff and customers. Opening the facility with reduced numbers and the necessary social distancing would result in heavy losses.
In addition with the prevailing litigation culture, even one case in such circumstances would be enough to close the Aqua Dome permanently. We make an urgent plea to this new Government to do something about the Book of Quantum which is dictating the level of awards which are five times higher than the European average and leading to the out of control litigation culture we have in this country.”
The Directors said that they did not take this decision lightly while recognising that the Aqua Dome is a very important part of the tourism infrastructure of Tralee and the entire county of Kerry.
Up to 40 people are employed at the Aqua Dome during the peak summer season while there were 126,000 visits by customers to the attraction in 2019.
We hope you all stay safe during this Covid-19 crisis and we will update you closer to re-opening.
Thank you for your patience and support.