Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 11 Jul 1990

Vol. 401 No. 5

Written Answers. - Tourist Numbers.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

103 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if, in the context of the Government's plan to double tourist numbers, he will outline his Department's plans in this regard for County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Tourism and Transport (Mr. S. Brennan)

Strategy for achieving the Government's tourism targets which include a doubling of tourist numbers in the period 1989-93 involves: increased public and private sector investment in the development of a more extensive and attractive tourism product range through the use of EC Structural Funds and other incentives such as the business expansion scheme; improved competitiveness of the tourism product in terms of quality and price; increased market penetration by Bord Fáilte, with the assistance of the industry, including entry to new markets and greater niche marketing and improved packaging and distribution of the tourism product in the marketplace.

The EC Structural Funds available under the Operational Programme for Tourism (1989-93) will be the main incentive for encouraging and priming tourist developments up to 1993. The tourism industry in County Mayo, as well as in other counties, can maximise its share of the growth targets by co-operating with the tourism agencies who are responsible for the administration of the operational programme.

I am advised by Bord Fáilte that County Mayo features strongly in their marketing plans and, with the benefit of Knock Airport and its associated promotional drive, County Mayo is expected to achieve substantial growth over the next few years. The bord have also advised that the newly restructured Regional Tourism Organisation will assist the industry in County Mayo in planning and formulating additional promotional campaigns in order to ensure that the county will gain the maximum exposure to overseas tourism markets.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

104 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the estimated number of visitors, from both this country and abroad, who have visited each county in Connaught in the past three years; the estimated expenditure of these visitors to the province in this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Tourism and Transport (Mr. S. Brennan)

I understand from the Central Statistics Office that data on tourist numbers and revenue is not available on a county basis.

Bord Fáilte publish estimates of tourist numbers and revenue on a regional basis only. These estimates are compiled using the board's own surveys which are applied to national CSO figures.

Data on visitor numbers and revenue for 1989 in respect of the Western and North-Western Regional Tourism Organisations which include the counties of Connaught are shown in the table which is being circulated in the Official Report. Directly comparable data in respect of the years 1987 and 1988 is not available following a revision of the regional boundaries.

Western Regional Tourism Organisation

(Counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon)

	Overseas Tourists	Domestic	Northern Ireland	Total
Numbers (000s)	778	848	111	1,737
Revenue (£m)	123.3	56.3	15.2	194.8

North-West Regional Tourism Organisation

(Counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan)

	Overseas Tourists	Domestic	Northern Ireland (including excursionist revenue)	Total
Numbers (000s)	410	480	244	1,134
Revenue (£m)	56.9	27.6	22.9	107.4