Ivor Callely
Question:172 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the total expenditure in marketing Ireland as an ideal holiday location in 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10939/95]
Written Answers. - Marketing and Promotion of Ireland.
The grant-in-aid allocation to Bord Fáilte for 1995 is £24.7 million of which £16.574 million has been allocated to provide for its marketing and promotional functions.
A further £7.4 million is provided for under subhead B3 — Tourism Promotion and Development Fund — of the Vote for my Department. Major items of expenditure under this subhead include the overseas tourism marketing initiative, £4 million — which is a Government-private sector partnership marketing campaign in the US, Britain, Germany and France — a £1 million allocation to Bord Fáilte for additional marketing activity in a number of countries and £800,000 for regional marketing initiatives under the INTERREG II programme.
In addition the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-99 envisages a total investment of £125 million in marketing Ireland abroad over the lifetime of the programme.
The Government is committed to ensuring that adequate resources are available for the overseas promotion of Ireland as a first-class tourism destination. I am confident that, with the resources which are in place, the visitor and revenue growth targets for 1995 will be achieved and that the tourism industry will continue to make an increasingly important contribution to the Irish economy.