Tourism body says €20m stimulus needed in budget

A €20m stimulus package from the Government is now needed to make tourism Brexit-proof, a body representing the industry has said.

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) had previously called for €12m to be made available but in its pre-Budget submission, called for an extra €8m.

ITIC chief executive Eoghan O’Mara Walsh defended the call for an extra €8m, saying it was needed not just because tourist numbers were dropping from the UK, but also because Midlands and Shannon regions needed a boost in their branding.