Vol. 502 No. 2
14 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the aspects of tourism which have the greatest potential for growth; the way in which he will capitalise on these features; the plans, if any, for development in this area; if he intends directing the tourism promotional agencies in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7401/99]
Bord Fáilte, the agency with responsibility for overseas marketing and promotion, forecast growth from all the main markets in 1999, with Britain and North America expected to be particularly strong performers as in 1998.
I understand from Bord Fáilte that, in recognition of the likely source of our best tourism opportunities, almost £11 million or over half of marketing funding available for 1999 from the Exchequer and other sources such as the overseas tourism marketing initiative and the European Regional Development Fund funded Operational Programme for Tourism, has been allocated to North America and Britain. Within the marketing allocation for continental Europe, additional funding has also been allocated to Germany, the world's top outbound tourism market, where Bord Fáilte is anxious to build on Ireland's market profile.
