Bid to build on 7% rise in visitor numbers
Tourism Ireland yesterday reported that the overall number of foreign tourists who visited Ireland is up around 7% in 2013 — ahead of the 5% target set at the start of the year.
Expenditure by overseas visitors is also up by around 6% to €3.64bn.
Launching Tourism Ireland’s three-year marketing plan to 600 delegates in Dublin yesterday, Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said ambitious targets were being set to build on this year’s growth which has seen around eight million people visit during 2013.
Just launched Tourism Ireland’s marketing plan 2014-16: target of 25.6M visitors over 3 years #TI2014
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) December 2, 2013
The organisation hopes to attract 25.6 million visitors to the island of Ireland over the coming three years with tourism revenue expected to contribute €12.6bn.
Mr Varadkar expressed confidence that Tourism Ireland could meet the target of a 4% increase in overseas tourist numbers next year, with an accompanying 8% growth in revenue, notwithstanding the positive effect from this year’s one-off tourism initiative, The Gathering.
“I don’t think 2013 is a high watermark for Irish tourism,” said Mr Varadkar.
The minister said The Gathering, with over 5,000 associated events, was more than just about tourism and had strengthened links with the Irish diaspora as well as establishing a renewed sense of community pride in many parts of the country.
He claimed the Government’s initiative to lower and retain the 9% Vat rate for tourism-related products and services had contributed to strong growth in the sector with 17,000 more people working in the industry compared to two years ago. Mr Varadkar said tourism had created up to a third of jobs over the period.
Tourism Ireland launches 2014–16 marketing plans #Ti2014 http://t.co/rUizHupHDf via @thebusinessday
— Tourism Ireland (@TourismIreland) December 2, 2013
However, with regard to Cork Airport, the minister said the number of passengers using the facility, where commercial traffic is down by 4% so far this year, was “not great.”
Mr Varadkar said he hoped the introduction of extra flights to Cork from Heathrow would help to drive growth.
However, the minister said there was no case to revisit the “sensible” decision to keep Cork Airport within the control of the Dublin Airport Authority given the airport’s debt and the cost of the new terminal.
“Its cost base is very high given the number of people who use the airport.”
He stressed that Cork was nevertheless “more autonomous” from the DAA’s head office than in the past, while he also welcomed the establishment of a stakeholders’ forum at the airport.
8m people will have visited Ireland by end of 2013, @TourismIreland1 estimates - up 7.2% on 2012 and generating €3.64bn.
— @poloconghaile (@poloconghaile) December 2, 2013
Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons said 2013 was set to be a record year for visitor numbers from most countries, including the US, German, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.
One of our main markets, Britain, which had experienced decline in recent years, also recovered during the year, said Mr Gibbons.
He claimed improved air and sea access in 2014 through additions flights serving the US and Canada and extra ferry services with Britain and France should help deliver further growth in tourist numbers.
Mr Gibbons said Tourism Ireland would concentrate on markets that offered the best return on investment such as North America and Mainland Europe.
He predicted another exciting year for Irish tourism with the promotion of the Wild Atlantic Way — Ireland’s first long-distance touring route which runs from the Inishowen peninsula in Co Donegal to Kinsale, Co Cork — being one of the organisation’s main initiatives.
Other big events due to take place in 2014 include the start of the Giro d’Italia, Limerick City of Culture and the Croke Park Classic, an American football college game between the University of Central Florida and Penn State.
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