Written Answers. - Tourism Industry.
Phil Hogan
Ceist:
10
Mr. Hogan
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
the names of the tourist interest groups with which he has had discussions recently regarding their plans, priorities and problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8112/02]
Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:
29
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
his proposals to reverse the downward trend in tourist numbers which are forecast for 2002.
[8077/02]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:
30
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
the measures which can be put in place to assist the tourism industry which is experiencing financial difficulties due to the downturn in visitor numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7965/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:
530
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
the progress regarding the promotion of Ireland as a tourism destination; if adequate funds have been made available to those charged with direct responsibility in this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7905/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 29, 30 and 530 together.
As I have already advised the House, most recently on 30 January last, there are a number of initiatives being progressed during 2002, the first full year of operations of the new all-Ireland overseas marketing company, Tourism Ireland Limited, as part of the most radical shake up of tourism policy in recent decades. These include the establishment of a new National Tourism Development Authority to follow on from the operational start-up of Tourism Ireland Limited, the roll-out of robust and focused tourism marketing plans for 2002 together with a fundamental reappraisal by Tourism Ireland Limited of our overall overseas marketing strategy, ensuring the appropriate development of tourism products and facilities through the launch of a new tourism product development scheme, and working to ensure that a broad and competitive network of access links by air and sea to Ireland is in place.
One of the key challenges for 2002 and into the future is to ensure that delivery arrangements for those tourism functions remaining with Bord Fáilte and CERT are the most effective in helping Irish industry to achieve the optimum position for itself in the international marketplace, and so derive maximum economic benefit from the work of Tourism Ireland Limited. I believe that bring ing together the product and human resource development functions into the one agency will provide the best delivery model for achieving this objective.
Following highlevel consultations with Bord Fáilte and CERT, the Government approved last November the creation of a National Tourism Development Authority to promote the development of sustainable tourist facilities and services, including the promotion of training, human resources and marketing skills. Since then I have established an implementation group, chaired by John Travers, outgoing chief executive of Forfás, and including the chairpersons and chief executive officers of both Bord Fáilte and CERT and representatives of my Department. I have asked the group to develop a vision for the new authority; an organisational structure to deliver on that vision; an outline of the mechanisms to involve staff in that delivery process; and a communications strategy for ensuring a smooth transition to the new authority by the 2003 season. The intention is that the group, which has already met on four occasions and is making steady progress in its continuing deliberations, will report back to me in the next month or so.
Meanwhile, Tourism Ireland Limited and Bord Fáilte have recently launched comprehensive marketing plans for 2002 designed to address the new market situation. Tourism Ireland's programme budget of €27 million for 2002 for the international marketing of the island of Ireland is the largest ever annual budget allocated for such a purpose and is supplemented by substantial niche/product marketing funding by Bord Fáilte which was further enhanced by the allocation of an additional €11 million to Bord Fáilte for this purpose in the recent budget.
Tourism Ireland has already launched a new and exciting television and print international advertising campaign for the island of Ireland, developed at a cost of approximately €5 million. The company's marketing plans for 2002 are responsive and flexible in nature, with an emphasis on tactical marketing and co-operative initiatives with product providers, distribution trade and carriers to take account of the changing circumstances arising from the events of 11 September.
The focus on Britain, our nearest and largest market, will be particularly strong. They see a particular opportunity in the short break and additional holiday markets as Ireland is well positioned as a destination that is easily accessible by sea, particularly for the own-car segment. Tourism Ireland is also targeting a revival of the holiday market from continental Europe during 2002 through prioritising geographic markets, by selectively encouraging and supporting new access gateways and routes into Ireland, and by getting an increased number of operators to feature Ireland in their promotional activities. Specific initiatives for UK, continental and US markets are a day-to-day matter for the company itself.
Bord Fáilte, which will be operating in partnership with Tourism Ireland Limited, has also recently launched its own complimentary programme of activities for 2002 which it will be undertaking on behalf of and in partnership with the industry. This will include an extensive promotion campaign in the Ireland market, both North and South, particularly from February to May and September to November, to encourage season extension; assisting industry, through Tourism Ireland's overseas office network, with the packaging and marketing of niche and specialist products such as golf, angling, heritage, walking-cycling, equestrian, watersports, conference and English as a foreign language; implementing the sports tourism initiative which is designed to win major international sporting events for Ireland, and utilising the promotional opportunities for Ireland arising from the positive media coverage associated with such events which, during 2002, will include the World Cross Country Championships, the Smurfit European Open, the American Express World Championships, and the ITU Triathlon World Cup Series; developing guidelines for implementing the recent Government initiative to expand regional tourism though festivals and cultural events; and providing a promotional platform for media and journalist visits from the various markets.
Bord Fáilte has had extensive consultation, including a number of meetings of the tourism marketing partnership, consisting of representatives of the industry, Bord Fáilte and Tourism Ireland Limited, in the drawing up of these plans.
Following state aids approval by the European Commission, I was pleased to launch the new tourism product development scheme in January. This will be administered by Bord Fáilte and involves some €130 million of public sector funding under the Border, midlands and western and southern and eastern regional operational programmes of the national development plan. The overall objective of this scheme is the development of the tourism product in a sustainable way, that widens the spatial spread of tourism, diverts pressure from highly developed areas and increases the under-performing regions' share of overseas tourism revenue.
The scheme includes three categories as follows: the development of major attractors and clusters of attractors; the development of special interest pursuits; and tourism environmental management. The first two of these categories are targeted specifically at regions that are under-performing in terms of tourism development, and are designed to help such regions to achieve their tourism potential. The successful realisation of the measures is, however, dependent on, and directly related to, the delivery by relevant local and other authorities of the necessary infrastructure, facilities and controls.
Competitive access links by air and sea to Ireland will be every bit as critical in 2002 as in previous years. We are particularly well served by the levels of investment in recent years in sea access, which has seen the emergence of a high quality and competitive route network, in particular across the Irish Sea and to France. My Department has been working closely with the Department of Public Enterprise to safeguard as much of the air access route infrastructure as possible so that, as traveller confidence is restored and as the recovery comes, we will be best placed to avail of it.
The extension by Aer Rianta of its incentive scheme for new routes to Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports is very encouraging and I welcome recent announcements of new air services for 2002 which will go some way to compensating for the loss of services arising from the shakeout of the airline sector arising from the events of 11 September.
I also very much welcomed the request by the Minister for Public Enterprise of Aer Rianta in early February to proceed immediately with the provision of a rapid turn-around facility at Dublin Airport to meet the specific needs of carriers operating at the lower fares end of the market. The Minister for Public Enterprise is closely monitoring this project to ensure that Aer Rianta provides the facility at the lowest possible cost; takes full account of the needs of the low fares carriers and has the facility operational in good time for the 2003 season.
Such a facility represents an important breakthrough in air access by offering new opportunities to carriers in that category to open new routes and services into Ireland from Britain and continental Europe and will be particularly important in encouraging increased access from Europe. The State tourism agencies will continue to work with the air carriers and with Aer Rianta to market existing and new services which I hope will arise out of this decision, and I have already asked Tourism Ireland Limited to ensure greater co-ordination and co-operation in marketing activities with the airlines and Aer Rianta.
The tourism industry has matured greatly in recent years and has built up a tremendous product base that makes Ireland a very attractive international tourist destination. I welcome the response of many businesses in the sector that are already readjusting their marketing and pricing strategies to secure extra businesses in the current difficult climate. I cannot emphasise strongly enough the continuing need to maintain competitiveness and keep prices as attractive as possible. I am confident that the recent attractively priced offers from the air and sea carriers, accommodation providers and others will play a key role in helping the industry to work its way out of current difficulties.
On 27 February last I met a delegation from the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation whose members presented their report, A Recovery Programme for Tourism. In the course of the meeting, the ITIC representatives outlined their assessment of recent tourism performance, the challenges facing the industry in the aftermath of last year's crises, and their proposals for reversing the decline suffered by Irish tourism as a direct result of those crises. My Department is finalising its consideration of the ITIC submission and I expect to be in a position to issue a formal response to the confederation very shortly setting out our policy position.
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:
11
Mr. Gilmore
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
the position regarding the proposals to bring Bord Fáilte and CERT together to form a new national agency for tourism development; the progress made to date by the implementation body chaired by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8037/02]
Derek McDowell
Ceist:
22
Mr. McDowell
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
when the proposed National Tourism Development Authority Bill is likely to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8040/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 22 together.
Last November, the Government approved the creation of a new national tourism development authority whose remit is to include the promotion of training, human resource and marketing skills development in the tourism industry and other functions carried out by Bord Fáilte and CERT. The Government also approved the drafting of a Bill to provide the statutory basis for the new authority. The draft Bill is being prepared in the Attorney General's office and it has not yet given us an expected date for completion.
Meanwhile, I have established an implementation group, chaired by John Travers, outgoing chief executive of Forfás, and including the chairpersons and chief executive officers of both Bord Fáilte and CERT and representatives of my Department. I have asked the group to consider a vision for the new authority; an organisational structure to deliver on that vision; an outline of the mechanisms to involve staff in that delivery process; and a communications strategy for ensuring a smooth transition to the new authority by the 2003 season.
The group has been keeping staff in both organisations regularly briefed in relation to its work and has also invited submissions from relevant staff and industry interests. The intention is that the group, which has already met on four occasions and is making steady progress in its continuing deliberations, will report back to me within the next month or so.
