Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 2

Written Answers - Official Engagements.

Jan O'Sullivan

Ceist:

118 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has scheduled meetings with tourist industry representatives for his trip to Scotland in March 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5610/03]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

St. Patrick's Day has traditionally signalled the start of the tourism season in Ireland. With the President, Taoiseach, Ministers and Ministers of State visiting our key tourism markets, including Britain, North America, continental Europe, Canada and Australia, there is a unique opportunity to ensure that Ireland is presented in a consistent manner as a top class tourist destination to a wide and receptive audience.

To this end I have asked my Department to work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ireland Limited to maximise the tourism promotional potential of these visits by making available to all Ministers travelling abroad special tourism briefing and speaking points which will be customised for individual major markets. In addition, dialogue is being developed between Tourism Ireland Limited and diplomatic missions in order to ensure that tourism interests are appropriately recognised and catered for in relevant events being organised by the missions.

For my part, I will be travelling to Britain, which is our largest tourism market, to participate in a series of tourism promotions, including the official opening of the new Tourism Ireland offices in London, where I will be joined by the Minister responsible for tourism in Northern Ireland, Mr. Ian Pearson, MP.

I will also travel to Edinburgh to join in the St. Patrick's Day celebrations being organised by the Irish Consulate there on 15 March. I have asked Tourism Ireland and the consulate to consider any opportunities there may be to invite key tourism players to official events including the St. Patrick's Day Charity Ball which I will be attending that evening. I will return the following day to participate in the national St. Patrick's Parade and festival events in Dublin.