Written Answers. - Tourism Industry.
Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:
88
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
the estimated number of language holiday tourists coming here in each of the past three years; the estimated value to the economy arising from this activity; if the main activity and benefit is centred in Dublin; and the measures available to encourage the development of such holidays particularly in rural Ireland.
[1423/01]
Bord Fáilte publish annual estimates of tourist activities in its survey of overseas travellers and, according to these publications, copies of which are available from Bord Fáilte, the number of overseas language study visitors aged 16 years and over in the past three years is estimated at 107,000 in 1997, 139,000 in 1998, and 116,000 in 1999. These estimates do not include visitors under 16 years who are not covered in Bord Fáilte's survey of overseas travellers. Foreign revenue earnings from language study visitors in 1999 were estimated by Bord Fáilte at almost £80 million.
Just over half of the total nights generated in Ireland by language study visitors are spent in Dublin with the south-west at 15%, the west at 12% and the midlands/east at 8% the most popular regions outside Dublin for these visitors.
The Government's commitment to balanced regional growth in tourism is underlined by the allocation of investment support funds in the two regional operational programmes for the Border, midland and western region and the southern and eastern region. I also understand from Bord Fáilte that, due to a shortage of suitable premises in Dublin, many Dublin based schools are now expanding their businesses into the regions thus forth.
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:
89
Mr. Gilmore
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in dealing with labour shortages in the tourism sector.
[2400/01]
The successful development of Irish tourism in recent years has created new challenges for the industry not only in terms of maintaining its competitive position internationally but also as regards competition for staff in a labour market where skills and shortages have become a major issue for all economic sectors, including tourism. This situation requires new and innovative responses from the industry and from the State institutions.
For its part CERT, following extensive research and consultation with industry, launched a new strategic plan for the period 2000 to 2006. This is designed to deliver the objectives and programmes set out in the national development plan and involves a shift in the focus of the organisation, with an enhanced emphasis on promoting human resource management capability in the industry, and researching and benchmarking best practice. The industry itself will need smarter recruitment and retention programmes and innovative ways of increasing productivity if it is to maintain its pool of highly motivated, productive and committed skilled labour to respond to market demand for quality service and value for money.
The Government has agreed to allocate £107 million under the National Development Plan 2000 – 2006 to CERT to help industry secure and retain a professional and skilled work force to meet existing and emerging needs in the sector, thereby enhancing the quality of tourism product and service. In this context over £16 million has been provided in my departmental Estimates for allocation to CERT in 2001 to enable the organisation to commence the implementation of its new strategic plan.
CERT has continued with its many initiatives designed to promote careers in the industry to the school leaving population generally. These include workshops for career guidance counsellors, a telephone careers information line, circulation of careers information to over 1,400 schools, FÁS offices, libraries, and youth organis ations and the preparation of information packs for industry personnel giving career talks.
In addition to the measures outlined, two parallel initiatives are designed to further promote careers in the industry. The first of these, which was launched in October 2000, was CERT's annual careers road show which visited 16 venues countrywide and held over 70 sessions in various second level institutions. It was targeted at second level students from transition year to leaving certificate level and was implemented in partnership with the major industry bodies including the Irish Hotels Federation, the Restaurants' Association of Ireland, the Vintners' Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintners' Association. It was widely advertised through local radio stations and newspapers.
The second initiative was the launch of the careers magazine,Get a Life in Tourism. This magazine is a CERT joint venture with the industry bodies and highlights the variety of careers on offer in the sector. The numbers enrolling in tourism entry courses were maintained for the 2000-01 academic year despite stiff competition from other industries and educational courses.
CERT is undertaking a pilot programme targeted at long-term unemployment blackspots which has proved to be very popular and successful with exceptionally good job prospects and participants being virtually guaranteed jobs on successful completion of the courses. The programme which is under way in Ballymun, Clondalkin and Merchants' Quay is to be extended to Waterford during 2001 and will be replicated in other parts of the country which have experienced particularly high levels of long-term unemployment.
CERT's new nationwide programme to encourage people who have been out of the work force for a long time to take up a career in the tourism industry has been running for nearly a year at this stage. It has proved extremely successful to date and it is projected that 6,000 adults will complete this programme by 2005.
In a separate effort to boost recruitment levels I understand that tourism employers have participated in recruitment fairs in Scotland and Wales which have proved very successful in attracting staff to Ireland. Recruitment drives are being considered for other European locations. Irish participation in fairs such as these is co-ordinated by FÁS which welcomes employers to such recruitment drives. I understand that the Irish Hotels' Federation, Irish hotel groups and individual bodies are also participating in EURES, the European Employment Service, to help satisfy labour shortages in the hospitality sector.
To help address concerns in the tourism and hospitality industry in relation to recruitment and staff retention, CERT launched the new RETAIN initiative in the latter part of 2000. Under this initiative, financial assistance of up to £15,000 over a three year period will be available under certain conditions to businesses for improvement in human resources management. Alongside the new scheme CERT will be running a series of courses for owners and general managers on modern human resource best practice.
In a significant shift in the direction of support for the industry, CERT held a major conference on world class service in tourism and hospitality for general managers and senior executives in the industry in Dublin Castle in November 2000. Featuring a panel of international speakers and the findings of the latest international research carried out during 2000, the conference focused on best practice in human resources and operations management. It was attended by 150 of the key decision-makers from among Ireland's leading tourism industry enterprises.
One of the key findings to emerge from the report, Hospitality Best Practice – A Benchmark Study, was the requirement for the tourism industry to improve its performance significantly. It emerged from the study that success will only come from focusing on customer needs and fully engaging employees in meeting those needs.
In response to these findings, CERT proposes to work more closely with the industry in a number of areas specifically designed to improve operational performance. CERT is planning a number of management development initiatives to assist this process and is working with Excellence Ireland to develop a business excellence recognition scheme to promote the attainment of excellence within the industry and to provide a necessary framework within which management and staff can work towards higher levels of performance.
