Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 May 2005
89 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress being made regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the tourism policy review group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15066/05]
View answer114 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the second progress report of the tourism action plan implementation group will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15021/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 114 together.
I am pleased to confirm that I recently received the second report of the independent group which I established in January 2004 to oversee progress on the implementation of the strategy set out in the report of the tourism policy review group, New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action. The second progress report was published on 5 May 2005 and is available on my Department's website at www.dast.gov.ie/pressroom/pr_publications.htm.
The strategy document laid out ambitious development targets for the tourism industry such as doubling overseas revenue earnings to €6 billion and increasing visitor numbers to 10 million annually by 2012. It included more than 70 key action points.
The progress report covers the six-month period to the end of March 2005 and indicates that overall the implementation group is satisfied that the strategy is being well advanced, both by the industry itself and by Government.
The group identifies the areas where good progress has been made. These include increased air access to Ireland in 2005, the opening up of some new markets, the implementation of well-resourced marketing and development programmes by the tourism State agencies in 2005, the launch of new marketing strategies by Tourism Ireland for the British and mainland Europe markets, the preparation of a new human resource strategy by Fáilte Ireland, the establishment of a business tourism forum, the funding of a significant number of new tourism development projects and the launch of a range of programmes and incentives to address business competitiveness among tourism enterprises.
I welcome the implementation group's conclusion that Ireland's tourism performance in 2004, with 6.6 million overseas visitors and €4.1 billion in foreign exchange earnings, was broadly consistent with the targets set and that the ambitious target to double revenue earnings, over the ten-year period to 2012, continues to be attainable if the tourism action plan is implemented effectively.
The progress report highlights a number of key barriers to tourism development. These include concerns about the competitiveness and value for money of Ireland's tourism product against a background of tight margins and enhanced competition, slow progress in the negotiation on an EU-US "open skies" arrangement that would open up the prospect of new gateways for air services from the US, the need to progress the provision of additional pier and terminal facilities at Dublin Airport, the need to restore growth from the British market, the absence of a national conference centre, continuing uncertainty about access to the countryside and significant gaps in Dublin's cultural infrastructure.
This is a critical time for the tourism industry throughout Ireland. While recently released CSO statistics for 2004 reveal a healthy tourism sector overall, we all share concerns in relation to the performance of some sectors and markets last year. The trend towards shorter holidays and lower expenditure levels is depressing tourism revenue, in particular outside Dublin and other urban areas. The second progress report from the implementation group is timely and useful in identifying what needs to be done to build on recent progress and to highlight the continuing barriers that need to be addressed by the industry and the Government to help sustain future growth.
