Report: Ambitious tourism targets can be met

Ireland is on course to reach ambitious tourism targets set for 2012 due to increased air access, development of new overseas markets and fresh marketing strategies at home, it was claimed today.

A new progress report from a high level Implementation Group found aims to double overseas revenue earnings to €6bn and increase visitor numbers to 10 million annually were attainable.

The group also identified a number of significant barriers which must be removed if these targets are to be reached.

The independent group was established by Minister for Tourism John O’Donoghue in January 2004 to oversee progress on the ambitious targets set out in the report of the Tourism Policy Review Group: ‘New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action’, published in September 2003.

The progress report covers the six-month period to the end of March 2005 and indicates that overall the Implementation Group is satisfied the strategy is being well advanced by the industry and government.

Group Chairman John Travers praised the advancements.

“Many of the key actions recommended in New Horizons are being progressed - if not in all cases - with the speed and urgency envisaged,” he said.

Mr O’Donoghue welcomed the group’s conclusion that Ireland’s tourism performance in 2004, with 6.6 million overseas visitors and €4.1bn in foreign exchange earnings, was broadly consistent with the targets set.

“This is a critical time for the tourism industry throughout Ireland,” he said.

“While recently released CSO statistics for 2004 reveal a healthy tourism sector overall, we all share concerns in relation to the performance of some sectors and markets last year.

“The trend towards shorter holidays and lower expenditure levels is depressing tourism revenue, in particular outside Dublin and other urban areas.

“The second Progress Report from the Implementation Group is timely and useful in identifying what needs to be done to build on recent progress and to highlight the continuing barriers that need to be addressed by the industry and the Government to help sustain future growth,” he added.

The Implementation Group is to continue its work over the remainder of the period of the initial two-year action plan set out in the report of the Tourism Policy Review Group.