asked the Minister for Transport and Power the total revenue from tourism each year for the past five years; and the estimate for 1972.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tourism Plans.
30.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it in the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
|
Year |
Revenue from tourists (including foreign earnings of Irish transport carriers) |
|
£m. |
|
|
1967 |
82.9 |
|
1968 |
93.0 |
|
1969 |
98.7 |
|
1970 |
99.1 |
A final return for 1971 is not yet available but Bord Fáilte have provisionally estimated the revenue for that year at £103.9 million. As regards 1972, the latest Bord Fáilte estimate is £83.9 million.
Is the Minister aware of the despondency and frustration in tourist areas because hotels are only half full? Many of them are already letting employees go.
The Deputy is aware of the steps taken by the Minister, in conjunction with Bord Fáilte, to try to compensate for the reduction in certain classes of tourists in order to attract Irish people to holiday at home. The Minister has given full particulars of these steps in reply to Parliamentary questions here.
Is the Minister aware that the steps taken do not seem so far to be bearing fruit? Can the Government or Bord Fáilte do nothing even at this late hour to encourage our own people to holiday at home instead of going abroad during this very difficult year for many people?
My colleague, the Minister for Transport and Power, would say that Bord Fáilte have made a great effort to attract our own people to holiday at home this year. Even private householders have been circularised. There has been a splendid campaign encouraging people to holiday at home.
Is the Minister aware that the Government's doing nothing about illegal organisations is having a bad effect on our tourist trade?
This is a purely statistical question.
There are slogans painted on the walls all over the south and west of Ireland and not a single thing is being done to get county councils or anybody else to remove them.
The Deputy is talking nonsense.
He is not. The Minister knows there was a carload of tourists in the south and the back window of the car was broken; those tourists returned home immediately. The Government are standing idly by. They will not protect people's property or people's lives.
31.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give full details of the proposed draft plan for tourism in this country over the next three years; the total cost involved in this project; and if his Department have made any projections as to the expected revenue accruing from this project.
32.
Mr. O'Donnell
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give some outline of the new long term plan for tourism recently announced by Bord Fáilte; and if he will indicate how it will be financed.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 32 together.
Bord Fáilte, after preliminary consultation with representative organisations and major operators in the tourist industry, prepared an outline tourism plan for the period 1972-75. This outline, which is at present a working document only and far from complete, sets out a planning framework in terms of objectives, revenue, markets, strategies and resources. The working document was circulated very recently by the board to some 400 tourist interests, including carriers, hotel organisations, et cetera, for their observations. These interests are expected to make a major contribution to the plan.
I am informed by Bord Fáilte that as the plan is being prepared by the board's staff no special costs arise. The cost of implementing the plan cannot be accurately assessed at this stage but Bord Fáilte activities covered by the plan will be financed in the normal way out of the board's annual grantsin-aid. It is hoped that the plan, which will be revised annually in the light of changing circumstances and advanced by one year at a time, will achieve a unity of purpose throughout the tourist industry. I will arrange to have copies of the document sent to the Deputies.
Any projections as to what revenue is expected from this project? I think that is embodied in the working document.
There are some conjectures. This is purely a working document and it is based presumably on optimistic projections.
Would the Minister like to quote the figure?
This is purely a working document. It is being circulated. It has to be considered by all the tourist interests concerned. It is not a document that can be discussed at this time in this House.