Written Answers. - Tourism Promotion.
Eamon Gilmore
Question:
61
Mr. Gilmore
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation that Irish tourism's traditional core values of hospitality and friendliness are diminishing; the steps he will take to counter this trend, especially in relation to training of personnel working in the tourism sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2399/01]
I am conscious that the extraordinary success of the Irish tourism industry in recent years could, perversely, lead to pressures on the quality of service on offer to the customer and a diminution in the traditional core values of hospitality and friendliness. In order to minimise this risk it is essential that industry strive to maintain its pool of highly motivated, productive and committed skilled labour to respond to market demand for quality service and value for money. It is my view that, to achieve this objective, the industry as a whole needs to further deepen its relationship with CERT, which is actively encouraging and promoting the development of training capacity and better human resource management skills.
The Government has allocated £107 million under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to CERT to help the tourism industry secure and retain a professional and skilled workforce to meet existing and emerging needs in the sector, thereby enhancing the quality of tourism product and service. In this context, over £16 million is being allocated to CERT in 2001 to facilitate the implementation of its Strategic Plan 2000-2006 which is designed to deliver the objectives set out in the NDP for raising and maintaining the highest operational and human resource standards in tourism.
For its part, CERT recognises the importance of customer care and the core values of friendliness and hospitality to the continued success of the Irish tourism industry. Accordingly, customer care modules form an integral part of all of CERT's elementary and craft level training programmes. CERT has also developed a number of programmes as part of its Strategic Plan 2000-2006 to emphasise the importance of these core values. One of these is the Ireland's Best Programme, the objective of which is to keep customers happy and to improve internal relationships within the company, thus helping to increase motivation and staff retention rates. In recognition of the significant achievements of the companies which have been involved in this programme, CERT has decided to establish an Ireland's best award scheme. This scheme will result in successful businesses achieving a mark of distinction for service excellence.
CERT's recently published report, Hospitality Best Practice – A Benchmark Study, found that for the continued success and growth of the Irish tourism and hospitality industry to continue, it must aspire to international best practice to complement the traditional Irish friendliness and Ireland's unique environment. In response to these findings, CERT is planning a number of management development initiatives to assist in improving operational performance, and is also working with Excellence Ireland to develop a business excellence recognition scheme to promote the attainment of excellence within the industry and to provide a framework within which management and staff can work towards higher levels of performance.
The recently published "Employment Survey 2000" indicates that despite skills shortages in the industry, more than 40% of companies plan further expansion in 2001. As the level of vacancies continues to rise, companies are now recruiting overseas in increasing numbers. To assist employers in managing the induction of overseas staff, CERT has developed a Fáilte Induction Pack which places great emphasis on customer care with a view to preserving the core values of hospitality and friendliness.
The Irish tourism industry Confederation's "People and Place Programme", which was launched by me in November 1999, was one of 22 projects financed by my Department under the Tourism and the Environment Pilot Initiative of the Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994 to 1999. The programme was designed to encourage people involved in tourism to be more aware of the core values of Irish tourism – our friendly people and our scenic environment. I understand that backed by Bord Fáilte and the Irish tourism industry Confederation, a comprehensive training programme will be undertaken over the next two years, based on a nation-wide network of contacts representative of all sectors of Irish tourism.
I am confident that these measures, underpinned by the Government's allocation of £107 million under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 will help the tourism industry to secure and retain a professional and skilled workforce to meet existing and emerging needs of the sector, thereby enhancing the quality of service, hospitality and friendliness to the customer.
