Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 May 2010
45 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport if her attention has been drawn to any initiatives under development which would capture the tourism potential of the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20595/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraA high-level coordinating group chaired by the Department is looking at the opportunities that may arise for Ireland across the sports, tourism and cultural sectors from the London 2012 Olympic Games. The group comprises representatives from Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, the Irish Sports Council, the Olympic Council of Ireland, Paralympic Council of Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In terms of the tourism potential of the event, a number of specific initiatives are being undertaken by the tourism agencies to seek to maximise the potential benefits to Irish tourism of having the Olympics in London. These measures include working with the official tour operators responsible for co-ordinating the travel arrangements for athletes participating in the games to ensure that Ireland is included as a destination for pre and post-Olympics packages; arranging pre and post-Olympics familiarisation visits for key media contacts who are attending the London Olympics — these visits will showcase the sports facilities and cultural product on offer throughout Ireland; and targeting tourists from London who may wish to get away from the city when the games are in progress, by offering good value offers and packages linked to other events in Ireland and presenting Ireland as a place to escape to and relax.
Since there will be reduced accommodation and carrier capacity available for visitors who wish to travel to London when the Olympics are on, Tourism Ireland will also be working with British inbound tour operators to offer alternatives which would fill any gaps in their normal programmes, thereby diverting business to Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland supported University College Dublin in its recent launch as a potential Olympic training camp venue and it is supporting the European Triathlon Championships this year in Athlone, which it is hoped will draw attention to Ireland and attract top names in the athletics world to participate and perhaps consider basing their pre-Olympic training here.
These are some of the practical areas of work that are under way. The high-level co-ordination group will continue to meet on an ongoing basis over the next two years. The tourism agencies are also working with Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Bord Bia, as well as their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, VisitLondon and VisitBritain, to identify other opportunities to maximise the tourism potential of the London Olympics for Ireland.
Are there any figures to show how much tourism will increase during the Olympic Games? Are there any bookings?
The Olympic Games will be the biggest tourism event of 2012 and they are being held an hour from Ireland. There is huge potential for us. In Britain, they are working on the post-game legacy, introducing the country to the emerging markets in particular. For us, the potential is as great but we have this visa problem that I have been raising for the last three years. It is getting more difficult to get a visa, not easier. We have made it so complex and expensive that we will not get these visitors. The British have succeeded in doubling the number of visitors over four years. Interestingly, every year the average spend of visitors from China grows by 10%. That is not a market we can afford to ignore. If, however, a Chinese person wants to get a visa, he cannot apply on-line or in writing; the application must be brought to one of two locations in all of China. Does this make it look like we really want people from China to visit Ireland? We must do something about this because it is becoming a joke. If we do not capitalise on 2012, we may never have an opportunity like this again.
It is not true to say the Olympic Games are the only thing happening in 2012. In Ireland, there will be the tall ships race in Dublin, the Volvo ocean race in Galway, the world youth sailing championships in Dún Laoghaire, the centenary of the Titanic, the Eucharistic Congress and the general election.
I doubt that will bring in tourists somehow. It might result in an outflow of people.
I was present at the UCD bid to secure the use of its facilities by sportsmen who will be at the Olympics. The same has been done in the University of Limerick and the National Aquatic Centre hopes to get some of the synchronised swimming teams. Potential exists in this area but we do not have specific numbers yet. Dr. Ronnie Delaney and Pat Hickey of the OCI have been very supportive of this work.
I would not scoff at the number of Londoners who might want to get out of London and we will make it attractive for them to come here. We will launch itineraries for the press on the themes of sports, cultural difference and the "go where Ireland takes you" theme.
Deputy Mitchell is right about the visas in China. It was a great coup when Ireland was designated as a tourism destination from China. I was part of the trade mission in China when that happened. I have written to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform about the visa issue. There should be a common visa between Britain and the Republic of Ireland to make it easy. This is a long-term policy but there is a burgeoning middle class in China who will be travelling a lot more and we must make it as easy as possible for them.
How often does the high-level group meet and how many meetings has it held? The Minister used the word "hopeful" but we are only two years from the Olympic Games and we need commitments, particularly from athletes if they are to come here to train. We should be certain what facilities are available, who will come and how many will come.
That is the first time I have heard a general election referred to as a potential tourism attraction.
It could be a blood sport all right.
I was talking about the general election in terms of major events that will happen in 2012. The reality is that the big countries will not come to train in Ireland, they will go directly to the larger cities in England. We hope to get some of the smaller countries and their ambassadors were all present in UCD, while UL and the National Aquatic Centre have been marketed to attract them.
The group meets regularly in the Department. We should not underestimate, however, the work Enterprise Ireland is doing separately on the industry side because the Indecon report that was drawn up recognised the business area was of even greater potential than the tourism area.
I have heard reports that it is equally difficult to get a business visa. The Minister stated that recognising the British visa is not likely to happen any time soon. However, I suggest this is the obvious and quick solution. Does the Minister realise that we already recognise the British visa in that if one is turned down for a British visa, one is automatically turned down by Ireland? The corollary of that should be that we accept it if it is granted by Britain.
If we are looking, as we should, at the potential of the Asian market, we should also consider our language skills with regard to promoting that market and encourage people to come in.
We need to free up money from the banks to encourage SMEs in the tourism sector and put them in a position to be able to provide the services we need to get the tourists in.
I was not for one moment suggesting that the visa was a long-term issue. I stated that having the visa will ensure long-term growth of the tourism industry as I see great potential there. I accept what Deputies stated on language skills. One of the exciting initiatives of recent years has been the development of the Confucius Centre in UCD, where students can take Mandarin along with other academic subjects, and there is huge potential there.
Tourism has been included in the credit review group for SMEs refused credit by the banks. Anybody involved in the tourism industry can refer to the credit review group with the hope of freeing up money. I accept that it is critical to the future of these small businesses which are the backbone of the tourism industry.
