Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 May 1998

Vol. 491 No. 1

Written Answers. - Tourism Figures.

David Stanton

Question:

45 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will make a statement on his efforts to extend the tourism season; and if he will give figures for tourists into Ireland for the period September 1995 to March 1996, September 1996 to March 1997 and from September 1997 to March 1998. [11280/98]

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid)

Specific targets have been set under the operational programme for tourism 1994-9 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.

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 in this regard.

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. 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 off-season. Another initiative to help address the seasonality issue is the reinvigorated national St. Patrick's Day 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 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 in the number of short holiday trips taken in 1997, plus 34 per cent. Spend on short holidays also increased significantly, plus 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 of this year.

According to estimates prepared by the Central Statistics Office, approximately 1.93 million overseas tourists came to Ireland in the period September 1995 to March 1996 and 2.12 million in the period September 1996 to March 1997. Figures for the first quarter of 1998 are not yet available, but in the period September to December 1997, the CSO estimates that 1.5 million overseas visitors came to Ireland.