Bernard Allen
Question:640 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the proposals, if any, he has to achieve an extension of our tourist season. [8599/98]
Written Answers. - Tourism Development.
Specific targets have been set under the operational programme for tourism 1994-99 for improving tourism activity in the shoulder and off-peak seasons. At the beginning of the programme 70 per cent of visitors came to Ireland during the off-peak season and the aim is to increase this figure to 75 per cent by 1999. The mid-term target set out in the programme is for 72 per cent of visitors to arrive outside the peak period and I am happy that this target was reached during 1996. Preliminary findings show that in 1997 further success was achieved in tackling the seasonality issue, with a total of 73 per cent of overseas visitors coming to Ireland outside the peak season.
On the product development side, the addition to the range and quality of weather independent facilities in recent years is helping to improve the seasonal profile of the tourism product range. The assistance which the industry has received under the tourism operational programme has been of considerable benefit.
On the marketing side, the overseas tourism marketing initiative, which is a State-industry partnership marketing initiative, promotes Ireland on a year round basis in the key tourism markets of the US, Britain, France and Germany. Many of its campaigns are directed at attracting visitors outside the peak season. Tourism Brand Ireland is a key part of a new strategic approach to marketing, designed to address major issues such as yield, regional spread and seasonality. The advertising emphasis is on aspects of the Irish holiday experience such as human interaction, culture and historical heritage which are not season-dependent.
The Celtic Flame Festival is a tourism council initiative with seasonality as one of its core objectives. The festival was devised to provide overseas visitors with a reason to visit Ireland in the off-peak season. The 1998 festival took place in various venues throughout the country during February and March and the diversity of venues selected ensured that areas beyond the main tourism centres could benefit from tourism in the offseason. Another initiative to help address the seasonality issue is the re-invigorated national St. Partick's Festival in Dublin. By attracting visitors to Ireland during March, and gaining positive coverage of Ireland celebrating at this time, the festival is making a very important contribution to the seasonality issue.
Finally, the regional tourism marketing initiative, launched in January, is currently under way. The initiative focuses on the promotion within the home market of short breaks in Ireland, again with emphasis on the off-peak. Results based on the Irish travel survey, 1997, show a significant increase of 34 per cent in the number of short holiday trips taken in 1997. Spend on short holidays also increased significantly by 37 per cent. As part of the campaign the Discover Ireland Holiday Show, which focused attention on the diversity offered by the various regions, took place in the Dublin Tourism Centre from 5 - 15 March this year.