The latest available CSO statistics on tourism performance relate to 1990 when Bord Fáilte received grant-in-aid totalling £21.5 million and SFADCo received £1.65 million for traffic promotion and tourism development. Therefore cost per visitor in 1990 was £7.50 and each visitor in turn spent an average of £371, including carrier receipts, during their Irish stay.
Grant in aid covers all costs, including those relating to the administration of ERDF and international fund schemes, registration etc and it is not possible to allocate all this expenditure accurately across the markets. However, I propose to circulate a tabular statement in the Official Report showing the relationship between Bord Fáilte direct expenditure in the main markets and visitor numbers and spend in 1990.
Relationship between Bord Fáilte Marketing Expenditure and visitor numbers and spend in 1990
Market
|
Marketing Spend per visitor in 1990
|
Average Visitor spend (excluding in 1990 carrier receipts)
|
|
£
|
£
|
Britain
|
1.19
|
180
|
Mainland Europe
|
5.48
|
336
|
North America
|
6.59
|
377
|
Other Areas
|
1.92
|
427
|
Average
|
2.99
|
254
|