Dublin bids to keep Tourists flocking

Tourism chiefs in the capital today launched their latest drive to ensure Dublin remains the country’s most popular holiday destination.

As nationwide plans are being finalised to attract visitors by promoting Ireland as a land of characters, Dublin Tourism has opted for a more conventional approach.

The three-year programme Making It Happen is targeting business travellers, enhancing attractions, addressing weaknesses and working to spread the benefits of tourism across the city and county.

It aims to attract 1 million more tourists to Dublin by 2010. Last year around 4.6 million people visited the capital.

Dublin Tourism has also vowed to press on with its ’Truly, Madly, Deeply Dublin’ campaign which promotes different aspects of the city from the historic and ancient culture and heritage to the mad craic and entertainment.

Frank Magee, Dublin Tourism chief executive, said there were good grounds for optimism.

“We are confident that Making It Happen will prove to be an effective framework in harnessing stakeholder support and achieving the ambitious targets we have set,” he said.

“Key strengths include a young population, urban renewal, Dublin’s literary heritage and cultural institutions, the benefits of unprecedented cultural infrastructure investment and the region’s positioning as Ireland’s gateway as well as the selection of available accommodation.”

Mr Magee said there were also a number of challenges including the decline in numbers of Irish people working in tourism and offering things of interest outside the city into Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown.

Other troubles affecting tourism include the importance of older visitors to the capital even though it is seen as a young city, pressures from an economic slowdown and competitiveness.

Making it Happen is aiming for tourism revenue to hit €1.8bn by 2010.

Dublin was the seventh most popular European city for tourists last year. It was previously ranked number three.