Michael McDowell
Question:3 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade whether any feasibility study has been attempted or commissioned on the prospects for an all-Ireland tourist body; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Cross-Border Tourism Co-operation.
No study has been attempted or commissioned by my Department on the feasibility of establishing an all-Ireland tourist body.
The development of cross-Border tourism co-operation has been undertaken over several years now by the relevant tourism authorities, namely Bord Fáilte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The main area of co-operation between the boards has been the joint marketing of Ireland as a tourist destination in a number of overseas markets with the assistance of the International Fund for Ireland. Other initiatives have been the development on an all-Ireland basis of Gulliver, the computerised information and reservations system, the adoption of a common classification system for hotel accommodation and the joint marketing of the new Shannon-Erne waterway. The boards have also co-operated in the administration of programmes for tourism development under the aegis of the International Fund for Ireland and the EC-funded INTERREG programme.
Progress in cross-Border tourism development is a matter which is kept under review by Ministers under the aegis of the Anglo-Irish Conference and in the course of other bilateral meetings. Generally, it is the shared view that co-operation in areas of mutual benefit to the tourism industries, North and South, is the best way forward.
Will the Minister indicate the progress of the reviews by the Anglo-Irish Conference in regard to this issue? Will he agree that if we are serious about developing North-South institutions as part of a solution to the Northern Ireland problem we must examine areas of best practical co-operation and that a single tourist body for the entire island of Ireland would be a sensible arrangement? Will he agree that his Department should carry out a feasibility study on the implications of an all-Ireland tourist board?
In relation to cross-Border co-operation in respect of tourism, under the aegis of the Anglo-Irish Conference I met my counterpart, Mr. Atkins, last March. We put forward a number of proposals about matters to which I referred in my reply. Since then, both Mr. Atkins and I jointly launched the north-west passage in Armagh last May. We put forward proposals regarding the joint marketing of the Erne waterway and officials on both sides believe that is the way forward.
I agree with Deputy McDowell's proposal in regard to an all-Ireland tourist board, but at this juncture it might not be advantageous to make proposals in that regard. Hopefully that is something which can be developed at a later stage but, as the Deputy is aware, difficult political problems exist on both sides of the divide at present. Hopefully, in the long term, we will be able to proceed down that road as I have an open mind in that regard. At present, there are no proposals from either side because officials on both sides believe that is not the way to proceed at present. However, during the past year we have co-operated in various fora abroad and participated in world tourist organisations on a joint platform sponsored by the International Fund for Ireland. We will see how matters develop before making proposals for a single tourist authority for the island.