asked the Minister for Transport and Power why he did not attend the annual tourist workshop at London in May.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tourist Workshop.
18.
The three-day holidays workshop held in London on 28th, 29th and 30th April was organised by Bord Fáite and consisted of working sessions between representatives of the Irish and British travel trades. It was designed to generate traffic in the coming autumn to spring programme and in next summer. It is important to leave business sessions of this kind to the professional people immediately concerned. My presence was not necessary.
In view of the special circumstances that have arisen in relation to this season's tourist traffic would the Minister not have considered that the workshop, which was attended by travel agents and tour operators from all over Britain, would have presented him with an ideal opportunity to allay any fears potential British travellers to this country might have in regard to the possible disruption of their holidays here?
We had all the representatives from the Irish tourist and travel business who were required to be there present and I have been fully furnished with all the relevant information. It concerns, by the way, not this summer season but the coming autumn to spring programme and the season following that.
(Interruptions.)