Vol. 427 No. 6
243 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if the Bord Fáilte projections for 1992 have been achieved; the number of tourists who visited this country in 1992 compared to the five years from 1987 to 1991; the amount spent in each of these years on marketing; if the marketing budget promoting Ireland in 1993 is higher than 1992; if any one factor of Irish tourism is being earmarked for special attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Central Statistics Office estimates for visitor numbers for the years 1987-92 are set out in tabular form in the following statement. It shows that visitor numbers for 1992 were up over 4 per cent on the previous year, a little below Bord Fáilte's mid-year projection of around 5 per cent. Also included are details supplied by Bord Fáilte, who has responsibility for overseeing the national marketing and promotion effort, of marketing expenditure over the same period. The Bord has yet to finalise the level of resources that it will be able to dedicate to its marketing programme for 1993. These resources normally come from a number of sources including the grant-in-aid, the EC, and contributions from the industry.
While the Bord and the industry itself will be taking a number of initiatives for the coming season, the most significant of these will be a special Bord Failte led campaign costing £2 million, to increase business in shoulder and off-peak periods.
Tourism 1987-1992
|
1987 |
1988 |
1989 |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
|
|
Visitor Numbers (000's) |
2,039 |
2,345 |
2,732 |
3,069 |
2,997 |
3,122 (Provisional) |
|
BFE Marketing |
£18.4m. |
£23.2m. |
£22.1m. |
£22.8m. |
£26.8m. |
£25.7m. (Provisional) |
