Ireland's tourism sector will bounce back, minister tells US travel leaders

Tue, 16 Mar, 2021 - 21:19

Paul Hosford, Political Correspondent

Ireland is poised to "bounce back" after the pandemic, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin has said.

Ms Martin has moved to reassure US arts and tourism leaders during a series of virtual New York City meetings to mark St Patrick’s Day, saying the outlook for the sector will "become clearer in the coming weeks".

Tourism has been particularly badly hit by the pandemic, with domestic staycations not filling the gap left by foreign visitors last year.

Ms Martin met with cultural figures in New York and was updated on how the city is starting to unroll a reopening of cultural events.

'Ongoing commitment'

She thanked Irish-American groups for their "ongoing commitment to support Irish arts" and said, “over the past year, our international partners have been so innovative in presenting Irish artists virtually, and their ongoing commitment to sharing Irish arts in these challenging times is truly appreciated".

At a separate New York meeting, Ms Martin took part in a virtual business roundtable discussion facilitated by Tourism Ireland, involving 25 senior US travel industry leaders.

She said she wanted to see overseas tourism into Ireland resuming as soon as it was safe to do so.

“I know you want to get back to bringing visitors to experience all the great things we have to offer here in Ireland. I can assure you that I want the same thing to happen as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The minister also said, “the outlook will begin to become clearer in the coming weeks” when restrictions begin to ease and as vaccinations ramp up.

“Tourism is a critical industry for Ireland. As a Government, we have invested hundreds of millions of euro to support our tourism businesses and employees during this pandemic. We are committed to ensuring that the sector survives and recovers in a strong and sustainable way.”

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