James Leonard
Question:36 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he has satisfied himself with the rate of progress in developing heritage tourism in view of the evidence of an increasing demand. [4365/96]
Written Answers. - Heritage Tourism.
Heritage is a very important aspect of our attractiveness as a tourism destination. Some 80 per cent of overseas visitors rate our culture and history as an important reason for considering Ireland for a holiday. These tourists are attracted here to discover our distinctiveness, including all those facets of the natural, human-made and cultural heritage which give us a unique identity.
The Operational Programme for Tourism, 1989-1993 was responsible for a major advance in the development of the Irish tourism product and involved an investment of £116 million in cultural and heritage projects funded by both the public and private sector, including over £56 million in EU grant aid.
The current Operational Programme for Tourism which runs from 1994 to 1999 envisages investment of over £170 million in heritage tourism, of which more than £120 million will be in the form of EU grant aid.
Eligible projects include historic houses, castles, monuments, national parks, literary museums, interpretative centres, heritage towns and theme parks and given the very substantial level of demand for assistance, I am satisfied that the investment targets for heritage tourism in the operational programme will be met. The assessment and evaluation process, critical to maintenance of the integrity and quality of our heritage product, is well under way and on line with these targets.