Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
289. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding allocated to the Tourism Ireland Regional Co-operative Marketing Fund, which seeks to encourage new access and maximise the potential of existing air and sea services to those areas outside of Dublin, in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022. [18399/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Tourism Ireland promotes regional air and sea access to Ireland in overseas tourism markets through initiatives like the Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund, which seeks to encourage new access and maximise the potential of existing services to the regions, with matched funding from airlines, sea carriers, airports, ports and regional tourism stakeholders including Local Authorities.
The Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund has been very important in enabling tactical partnerships that have helped drive increases in visitors to the regions, amplifying the Ireland message overseas and supporting direct access. This scheme will continue to form a very important part of Tourism Ireland's plans in supporting the recovery of our tourism sector in a post-pandemic environment.
The allocation to Tourism Ireland in respect of the Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund was €2.5 million in 2020, €3 million in 2021 and €3 million is also allocated for 2022.
