John Perry
Question:8 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the increase in tourist numbers visiting this country in 1999; the regional breakdown of this increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2834/00]
Other Questions. - Tourism Industry.
Ivor Callely
Question:74 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the revenue generated by tourism in 1999; the expected outturn in 2000; the number of visitors expected to visit Ireland in 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2877/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 74 together.
The Central Statistics Office has responsibility for the compilation of official tourism and travel statistics. Their latest release, published on 17 December 1999, relates to official visitor numbers for the first nine months of the year and revenue figures for the first six months. These figures show the number of overseas visitors grew by 6.5% on the same period in 1998, from more than 4.5 million to more than 4.8 million. Revenue earnings from tourism for the first six months of 1999 grew by more than 12% from £954 million to £1,072 million.
Bord Fáilte now forecast that the final figures for 1999 will show that foreign exchange earnings increased by 8% to a record £2.5 billion while overseas visitor numbers increased by 7% to almost 6 million.
Bord Fáilte forecast an increase of 6% in numbers and 7% in overseas tourism revenue for 2000. While Bord Fáilte publish annual estimates on the regional breakdown of visitor numbers and revenue, their 1999 estimates are currently pending the availability of the full year estimates from the Central Statistics Office for last year's tourism performance, due in the spring.
Will the Minister agree that efficient access is essential for tourism success and if that is correct what is the Minister doing to correct the current imbalance in the distribution of the tourism growth? Further growth in tourism is underpinned by positive and effective marketing. On the OTMI , while the Minister has indicated clearly the cross-Border institutions, that was very much market-led. I attended a conference in Donegal some weeks ago and I asked the question directly and did not get a clear answer. We need ringfenced promotional funding in the areas most severely affected. We need ringfenced marketing funding, for example in the West of Ireland and in regions with serious problems. The Minister indicated clearly that 4.5 million tourists came here but would he agree that most of them visited the east coast, encouraged by the abolition of duty-free sales and the difficulty of access along the west coast? A further disincentive to visit the west is that the Shannon duty-free facility is to be transferred to Dublin. Also important are the figures for regional airports. Few people use regional airports. I appeal to the Minister to seriously address the promotion of regional airports to bring people into the regions.
While I agree with the Deputy that regional airports are a vital part of our tourism infrastructure, they are not part of my remit. They are under the Department of Public Enterprise. Funding to regional areas, to try and achieve a regional spread of tourism has been my priority. I understand that the east coast has done exceptionally well, but when I came into office, I was the first Minister to give the regional tourism authorities a budget of their own, of almost £800,000. I was more than pleased with the way they used that because in the Milan, Berlin and London markets and further afield, the different regional authorities at different times, were out there marketing a specific region. It was a very worthwhile exercise and I hope to continue with it. They have done very well.
On the question of access, there is a large number of people coming to the east coast. There is a trend in Europe now towards short city breaks and Dublin has recently been indicated as the fifth most popular capital in the EU to visit. From that point of view, the access area is important but the matter of pricing is even more important. The low cost of access into this country and the cost of what is available is of the utmost importance.
(Dublin West): What is the Minister's opinion of the western tourism corridor?
That is a separate question.
(Dublin West): It is related to this.
It is not related.
(Dublin West): Does the Minister think there is a limit in national and in regional terms after which saturation is inevitable, where at the present time some of the most scenic areas are, at times gridlocked with cars and buses. Is this sustainable? What is the Minister's policy? Ó thaobh na Gaeltachta de, an bhfuil polasaí ag an Aire maidir le scéimeanna tithíochta samhraidh nach gcuireann an-chuid isteach i gcúrsaí eacnamaíochta ach a chuireann an-bhrú ar an nGaeltacht? Does the Minister have a policy on speculative pressure for summer housing schemes in the Gaeltacht areas? Many of the houses in these schemes are empty for much of the year.
That is a separate question.
(Dublin West): It relates to numbers first in the Gaeltacht.
Níl mórán Gaeilge agam agus mar sin freagróidh mé an cheist i mBearla. The problem about the whole area of housing schemes with which one is dealing, is probably the self-catering aspect and the small bed and breakfast accommodation areas. First of all, the Gaeltacht is unique in that it has its own grant aid packages. In the past, there has been an emphasis on marketing the upper end of the market. The small bed and breakfast, the farmhouses and so on, has not been properly assisted. On the question of sustainability, Deputy Perry and a number of other Members would agree there is plenty of room for many of our tours in different parts of the country but the problem is to try to attract them into those specific areas.
For example, Belgium and Holland have half the land mass of Ireland, yet their population is approximately 12 million. The Deputy is not looking for disagreement. We can comfortably accommodate at least two or three million people more provided we fulfil our individual responsibilities.