South West to vote on new regional tourism board
They will be asked during an extraordinary general meeting on Thursday to agree the transfer of business of Cork Kerry Tourism to Fáilte Ireland, to take effect by July 1. Cork Kerry Tourism is the South West Regional Authority.
Three-quarters of all fully paid up members must attend the EGM in Macroom on Thursday and they must vote in favour of the process for the transfer to occur.
A new entity, known as the South West Regional Tourism Development Board would then be established to operate under the auspices of Fáilte Ireland.
A majority vote against the transfer would “delay the changeover and the appointment of the new regional development board by anything from weeks to months”, Cork Kerry Tourism’s acting chief executive, Fiona Buckley, said.
“This would undermine the critical business of tourism planning for 2007, which is, of course, essential for the region,” Ms Buckley said. The restructuring of the tourist industry is being conducted on foot of a PriceWaterhouse Coopers review of the country’s tourism structures.
It recommends that new regional boards and structures be established in all regions across the country. Restructuring has been sanctioned by Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue.
Cork Kerry Tourism staff would continue to work with the new development board, Ms Buckley said.
The main change would be in management structure. If there is a majority vote in favour of the South West Regional Tourism Development Board, it will have 10 representatives from within the region, and one Fáilte Ireland executive.
Four of these would be industry representatives, two industry representatives nominated by Fáilte Ireland, and two representatives of city and county managers.
There would also be two local authority representatives, and a director of regional development appointed by Fáilte Ireland.
The board would be responsible for tourism marketing and product development in the region.
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