Irish promoters bidding to have Galway included as one of the port stopovers as part of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race have received a €4m (£3.5m)boost from the Irish government.
Irish tourism minister Martin Cullen announced that the funding package has been made available through tourism agency Fáilte Ireland to help Let's Do it Global with its Galway bid.
The city received port stopover status as part of the 2009 Volvo Ocean Race, which generated €55.8m (£48.9m) for the local and national economy, as well as attracting an estimated 40,500 overseas visitors to Galway.
