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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 3

Written Answers. - Tourism Development Plan.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

565 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the plans, if any, he has to develop and publish a national development plan for tourism. [8060/99]

Work is currently in train at central level in the Department of Finance in relation to the preparation of a national development plan for the period 2000 to 2006 to which my Department will be inputting an appropriate tourism dimension.

As part of this process, the Department produced a policy paper last March, entitled "Strategy for Tourism Development in the context of EU Structural Funding 2000-2006", which is compatible with the timeframe in the financial perspectives set out in the European Commission's Agenda 2000 proposals. The document contains objectives and a proposed strategic approach for investment in product development, marketing and training, based on a range of possible policy actions to meet those objectives.

Since then, my Department has been engaged in a consultation process in relation to future tourism policy with the industry, through the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, who themselves examined funding and institutional options in their own planning document of May last year, entitled "Strategy for Growth beyond 2000 – A Strategic Framework for Irish Tourism".

The Department is also in discussion with Bord Fáilte which has published a business plan for Irish tourism marketing, 1998-2003, after consultation with ITIC. The plan reviews recent performance, puts forward principles for prioritising future markets, details a possible growth scenario and sets out forecasts until 2003. The plan also discusses how tourism promotion might be funded in future, an important element of which is pending the outcome of current negotiations on the next round of Structural Funds for Ireland.
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