Tourism figures on course to reach ambitious targets, says O’Donoghue

TOURISM MINISTER John O’Donoghue has welcomed the news that a near-record number of tourists visited Ireland in 2003 against the background of serious difficulties for global tourism.

Mr O’Donoghue said if official Central Statistics Office figures, which showed the number of visitors had grown by almost 5% up to the end of September, were maintained over the final quarter, Irish tourism would have met highly ambitious targets set at the start of the year. Early estimates also indicate revenue earnings are up by around 4% over the same period.

“It is worth emphasising that these targets were set this time last year, before Iraq and SARS emerged as critical setbacks for the tourism sector globally,” said Mr O’Donoghue.