Brendan Griffin
Question:12. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans for domestic tourism for 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10506/22]
View answerThursday, 24 February 2022
Questions (12)
Oral answers (5 contributions)
What is the outlook for domestic tourism for 2022? I had tabled another question on international tourism as well but I ask the Minister to give the House an update on the plans.
In budget 2022, the Government allocated €67.6 million in additional funding for tourism, thereby bringing the overall tourism services budget to €288 million. This funding will enable the tourism agencies to assist in the recovery of the sector. The funding allocated to the tourism agencies in 2022 includes €50 million for further business continuity support for strategic tourism businesses and a €35 million increase in the tourism marketing fund as well as €36.5 million in capital funding for tourism product development.
Fáilte Ireland recently unveiled plans to support a sustained and sustainable recovery of the tourism industry this year. The plans include a doubling of domestic marketing investment to €10 million to drive domestic demand including short breaks all year round. The implementation of four regional brand tourism strategies will be critical to driving the long-term recovery of tourism across Ireland and to capitalising on the anticipated growth in inbound tourism in 2022.
There will be further investment in the digital presence of tourism businesses, including enhancing the digital capabilities of more than 400 tourism businesses through Fáilte Ireland's Digital that Delivers programme. A digital audit of more than 800 hotels will be conducted and a suite of digital supports will be rolled out to ensure that businesses are visible, searchable and, most importantly, bookable. Fáilte Ireland will help address staffing and skills issues in the tourism and hospitality sector, including the first-ever excellent employer programme. The agency will assist businesses in their immediate recruitment efforts and help them to commit to driving long-term change and to making the industry an appealing and rewarding workplace that can attract and retain talent.
Fáilte Ireland will continue its investment in new and enhanced and best in class visitor experiences. Projects that will open between now and 2025 will be dispersed throughout the country and will help drive visitor growth with a strong focus on the outdoors. This will be complemented by a strong network of festivals and events such as the Fleadh Cheoil 2022, which I am pleased will return as an in-person physical event, taking place this summer in Mullingar. The Fleadh Cheoil is the world's largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance and it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the host town.
The Deputy has one minute. He will not get back in again.
It is very important that there should be strong marketing funding. There will be strong demand among people for going overseas. That is attractive after having had two years at home and, therefore, it is really important that we try to keep as much money in our economy as possible. It is really important that there be good interaction between the Minister and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science around addressing the skills shortages. That will be a critical challenge for the industry in the years ahead. The commitments in the programme for Government on the Wild Atlantic Way and greenways are important.
We should look at what we can do with the eastern seaboard as well. There is great potential there. Developing those experiences is very important. As a final point, it is really important to fight for the capital in 2022 for future years to keep investing in new attractions and experiences in Irish tourism.
There is much to address there. As I outlined earlier, there has been that increased funding in the form of the €35 million increase in the tourism marketing fund, as well the €36.5 million in capital funding for tourism product development. The Deputy will be aware of the largest-ever investment announced last year by Fáilte Ireland in Westport, Dublin, Donegal and Cavan. That is the investment in those new visitor experiences.
From my engagement with Tourism Ireland I can tell him there is pent-up demand to visit Ireland. People are being attracted by the key attractions the Deputy mentioned such as the greenways, walkways and blueways. I am acutely aware of those commitments in the programme for Government and how they can really drive the tourism industry back. I am of course working closely with Fáilte Ireland to encourage people to still holiday at home and support our tourism industries.
There is engagement with the Minister, Deputy Harris, on recruitment. He is doing fantastic work there and has worked with the Irish Hotels Federation on that, as the Deputy will be aware.