Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 1991

Vol. 409 No. 9

Written Answers. - Tourist Numbers.

Tomás MacGiolla

Ceist:

35 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications the latest estimate available to his Department of the expected tourist numbers for the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

John V. Farrelly

Ceist:

38 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will give details of the current estimates of tourist numbers and revenue from tourists visiting Ireland from (a) Britain, (b) mainland Europe, (c) North America and (d) other overseas areas in the first quarter of 1991 compared with the same quarter in each of the years between 1987 and 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 38 together.

The information in relation to first quarter results, 1987-91, is set out in the tabular statement, which I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

There was a slight downturn in the first quarter of 1991 of 3.5 per cent on the same period in 1990. This small drop, which was nowhere near as bad as has been originally feared, was due partly to economic recession in some of our main markets but chiefly to the adverse impact of the Gulf crisis on demand for international travel generally. In response to these exceptional difficulties, the Government introduced a number of special initiatives aimed at minimising damage to our tourism performance this year and keeping the sector on line with Government targets set out in theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress. The Government allocated an extra £1 million to Bord Fáil in the budget for additional marketing and promotion; arranged last March, immediately following cessation of hostilities in the Gulf, for a special conference of senior Board Fáilte officials and key representatives of the Irish tourism industry, which I chaired myself, to relaunch the 1991 tourism drive; and secured the agreement of the EC to make a further £1.25 million in ERDF funds available in 1991 to the Irish tourism industry for special marketing campaigns in the US, and in the British and continental markets later this year, at a special 75 per cent intervention rate.

As a result of these measures and the resurgence in international demand for holiday travel since March, I am convinced that with a determined effort from all involved in Irish tourism, 1991 will be another record year for the sector.

TABLE

Visitors to Ireland — January to March, 1987-1991

	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
	000s	000s	000s	000s	000s
Britain	195	236	302	293	292
Mainland Europe	32	41	58	60	71
North America	37	44	48	54	33
Other Overseas areas	9	11	17	20	15
Total Overseas Visitors	273	332	425	427	411
*Foreign Revenue	£99m	£114m	£139m	£149m	N/A

*Breakdown of revenue by main market not available on a quarterly basis.

Source: Central Statistics Office.