Vol. 456 No. 5
29 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if an assessment has been carried out on the effectiveness of the steps taken in recent years to improve the seasonality of Irish tourism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14086/95]
46 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if an assessment has been carried out on the effectiveness of the steps taken in recent years to improve the seasonality of Irish tourism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14087/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 46 together.
As a result of a range of initiatives taken in recent years, particularly since 1988 under the previous and current Operational Programmes for Tourism, the concentration of tourist traffic in the peak July-August period has been reduced from 34 per cent in the mid-eighties to 29 per cent in 1994. These initiatives included major investment by the EU, the Exchequer and the private sector in the development of leisure and heritage facilities to meet requirements for a year round tourism season; special marketing campaigns and attractively priced off season holiday packages.
The current operational programme aims to further encourage significant growth so that by 1999 the seasonal spread of visitors will have increased to 75 per cent in the shoulder and off-peak periods, i.e. outside the peak July-August period.
