Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 8 Oct 2003

Vol. 572 No. 1

Written Answers. - Tourism Promotion.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Ceist:

81 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps he has taken to increase the number of tourists visiting Ireland in 2003; if he has proposals to increase funding for marketing of Ireland as a tourist destination abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22198/03]

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

Government support for the international marketing of Ireland as a tourist destination has never been higher. In 2003, I increased the Irish Exchequer contribution to Tourism Ireland's tourism marketing programme by €5 million to €22.8 million, which has enabled it to mount and sustain a highly-targeted marketing campaign in all our key markets this year. Over the remaining months of 2003, Tourism Ireland is injecting €8 million into the largest ever autumn-winter campaign in our key overseas markets to capitalise on the late booking trend which is increasingly a feature of the international tourism market and to ensure that the 2004 season is given a vital kick-start. Even at this stage of the season, there is still a lot to play for and despite the fierce global competition, the latest market intelligence suggests that Ireland retains its appeal as a tourism destination.

Allied to Tourism Ireland's core marketing programme, substantial funding – of over €16 million – has also been made available this year for niche marketing campaigns and the international sports tourism and the festivals and cultural events initiatives which are designed to maximise the international tourism potential of major sports and cultural events.

For my part, I have led a series of tourism promotional events in the US and in Europe and lent whatever political weight I can to Tourism Ireland's marketing campaigns in these markets.

The indications from the markets are that the unprecedented level of marketing activity this year appears to be producing results in a very testing international climate. The tourism figures for the first six months of this year indicate commendable performance by Ireland in the face of stiff competition. Overseas numbers grew by over 3% with revenue increasing by over 2%. Ireland's performance in key markets particularly North America and mainland Europe suggests that it has made significant gains in market share over the period in question. These results are particularly encouraging in the context of war in Iraq and slower than expected growth in the global economy. I also recognise, however, that this performance has not been experienced to the same degree by all sectors of the industry and across all regions of the country. It is also evident from reports from the agencies and the industry that this intense competition, with its focus on value for money, has put increasing pressure on margins in the industry but our over-riding objective must be to strengthen our competitive position in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Looking ahead, the final report of the tourism policy review group recommends a number of specific actions in relation to our marketing efforts which my Department and the tourism agencies, along with the industry itself, will take forward in order to sustain the strong momentum achieved over recent years on the marketing front.