Vol. 414 No. 2
14 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will outline the specific measures being taken to promote growth in tourism as referred to in page two of the Review of the Programme for Government which was published on 18 October, 1991.
24 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications the number of tourists who have visited Ireland to date in 1991; if he has had discussions with Bord Fáilte with a view to reversing the 1991 tourism figure reduction so that there will be an increase in 1992; and if he will outline the plans he has to increase the number of tourists.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 24 together.
The CSO estimate that some 2.4 million overseas tourists had visited Ireland up to the end of September this year. This represents a drop of just over 2.5 per cent on the same period last year and it is widely acknowledged that the main reasons were the combined effects of the Gulf crisis and economic difficulties in our main markets.
There has been a slow but steady recovery since July and indications now are that overseas visitor numbers will exceed the three million mark for the second year running. Furthermore, Central Statistics Office estimates for tourism expenditure for the first six months of the year show a rise of almost 8 per cent on the same period last year and there is every reason to believe that this level of increase will be maintained to year end.
Bord Fáilte are well advanced on marketing and promotion for 1992. Already the board, based on inquiry and booking levels to date, are confident that we have put the Gulf difficulties behind us and that we will see a strong return to growth next season. Other initiatives for 1992 include planned expansion of our ourseas distribution network, incorporating some major new tour operators, retail chains and a new computerised reservation system to begin operating in March. Investment in the tourism product will be maintained at a high level using EC Structural Fund assistance. Finally, the Government are currently looking at ways and means to increase commercial and trade involvment in the selling of Irish holidays in overseas markets to build on Bord Fáilte's marketing and promotion efforts.
Is the Minister satisfied that Bord Fáilte's allocation for this year is sufficient, taking account of the fact that even when £1 million was added on budget day they were still allocated only the same amount as the year before? We are told that the Estimates have been finalised and does the Minister intend to allocate the same amount of money again this year or will their allocation be increased to bring up the numbers to the level prior to 1982? Does the Minister have any plans to reverse the drop in the American market, because as we have seen from his reply, no other airline will service the route between Ireland and Los Angeles?
As the Deputy has acknowledged, the Bord Fáilte budget for the years 1990 and 1991 were of a similiar scale and in the circumstances of budgetary constraints that was the best we could do. I cannot give the Deputy any commitment for 1992 until we complete our meetings on the Estimates. Bord Fáilte are continuing to make every effort to win back visitor numbers from the United States which we lost this year. The US is a difficult market and I share the Deputy's concern about it. I have asked Bord Fáilte to look again at ways of increasing visitor numbers.
When we take into account that the income from tourism is in the region of £1.5 billion, will the Minister give a commitment that he will ensure that Bord Fáilte will receive over and above what they received this year in order to reverse the drop of just over 2.5 per cent in visitor numbers?
As the Deputy will appreciate, Bord Fáilte are not the only body spending money on the promotion of tourism.
Their budget was reduced from £27 million.
The private sector are spending heavily on the promotion of tourism. We are in the middle of an historic £300 million investment programme in the tourist industry, and some of the money is allocated for marketing. We are spending more on marketing tourism than we ever spent before in the history of the State.
People in the industry do not agree with that.
In view of the importance of increasing the trans-Atlantic trade will the Minister indicate if he is involved in discussions with airlines to provide additional trans-Atlantic services because at present only two airlines service Ireland from North America.
Aer Lingus cannot put on another route because the Minister is stopping them from doing so.
That is a separate matter worthy of a separate question.
The Minister is not stopping Aer Lingus putting on additional routes.
The Minister might ask Aer Lingus about that.
The information supplied to me suggests that the Minister is stopping them.
That is not the situation.
I believe they are awaiting a decision.
I am in constant discussions with the different American airlines. Even to this day I still meet with them personally on a regular basis and my officials also meet with them to encourage more and more of them to fly to Ireland. I am acutely conscious of the fact that only Delta Airlines and Aer Lingus fly into Ireland from North America. I am acutely conscious of the vulnerability of that situation and I am making every effort not only to maintain it but to improve it.
Would the Minister accept that the Irish tourism product must be lacking something if we are only capable of attracting sufficient visitors from America to warrant the routes being serviced by two airlines?
There is a great deal of scope in the United States and we do need to look at ways and means of getting more visitors from that market.
