Vol. 532 No. 1
327 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will outline the limited number of new visitor attractions mentioned in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 29 of 10 October 2000; his plans in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6842/01]
The overall objective of the tourism product investment scheme – to be funded from the £100 million within the tourism measures of the regional operational programmes – is to develop the tourism product in a sustainable way that widens the spatial spread of tourism, diverts pressure from highly developed areas and increases under-performing regions' share of overseas tourism revenue. Under sub-measure 1 – major attractors and clusters of existing attractions – investment will be concentrated in up to eleven major new day-visitor attractions, each capable of attracting over 100,000 visitors a year, strategically located in areas where none currently exist and which are capable, environmentally and economically, of supporting such attractions.
The scheme also plans to upgrade and improve packaging of a further eleven identified, geographically coherent and financially sustainable, clusters of existing attractions including, where necessary, support for investment in some new projects identified as essential for the completion of such clusters. In line with the regional OP, this scheme has had to be notified to the European Commission as a State aid and negotiations are under way. Meanwhile detailed guidelines for project promoters are being finalised by Bord Fáilte, in consultation with my Department.
328 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the identified niche markets which will be developed by supporting special interest activities with reference to tourism product development measures under the regional operational programme as mentioned in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 29 of 10 October 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6843/01]
The overall objective of the tourism product investment scheme – to be funded from the £100 million within the tourism measures of the regional operational programmes – is to develop the tourism product in a sustainable way that widens the spatial spread of tourism, diverts pressure from highly developed areas and increases under-performing regions' share of overseas tourism revenue.
