Encouraging First Time Visitors - Hanafin Addresses Tourism Forum

"We have to reach out to new and emerging markets in order to encourage new tourists to the island of Ireland" said Mary Hanafin, T.D., the new Minister for Tourism Culture and Sport last Thursday at the opening of the Incoming Tour Operators Association (ITOA) Tourism Forum for 2011 at the Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel, Killiney, Dublin.

"Worldwide it is a difficult time for tourism, but our energetic tourism providers are out there giving it their all, and I will work as part of your team to showcase Ireland as the prime tourist destination that we know it is."

The ITOA consists of over 32 leading companies that operate incoming travel and tours to the island of Ireland.

Its members are the recognised incoming tour operators of the Irish tourism authorities (Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board). ITOA member organisations bring in excess of 365,000 tourists to Ireland annually selling to over 4,000 international partners annually. 

Addressing over 200 business delegates at the forum Minister Hanafin said, "[this] forum, and a similar one held in Limerick ... are key elements of the annual tourism trade promotion calendar."

Minister Hanafin added "2009 proved to be an exceptionally challenging year, but there were still seven million overseas visitors to Ireland during the year.

"The tourism and hospitality sector provides in the region of 200,000 jobs, helps to generate €4 billion in foreign revenue earnings and up to €1.2 billion in tax earnings.

"Tourism is a very resilient industry and has proven its ability in the past to bounce back faster than other sectors after a downturn. I am confident that it will do so again and I have been encouraged by what I am hearing from business here today that there are signs of the start of an upturn in bookings for the coming year."

This year's Budget recognized the tourism and hospitality sector as a critical, labour-intensive sector.

The Budget incorporated a range of measures to renew Irish tourism. The overall tourism services budget was increased by 2% to over €153 million, including the maintenance in real terms of funding for the Tourism Marketing Fund and a trebling of the funds for tourism product development.

Tourism was also included in a range of cross-cutting measures to support enterprises and jobs, including the Employment Subsidy Scheme and the Credit Review System.

Concluding Minister Hanafin added, "I think we must be optimistic about our future prospects.

"With the right public policy framework, a strong partnership with the industry and active and responsive tourism agencies, we have every reason to be confident about our capacity to survive these quite exceptional times.

"I know that we can recover and return to sustainable growth in the medium term as the Irish and global economies get back on track."