The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe T.D., and Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan met with representatives from Kerry’s tourism industry in Tralee today (Friday) to brief them on the new Tourism Policy Statement which was launched earlier this week and also to update them on the progress being made on the development of the Wild Atlantic Way.
The new Tourism Policy Statement “People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025” represents the Government’s commitment to supporting the continued growth of tourism over the next decade as a source of export earnings, as a source of economic growth, and most importantly of all, as a source of additional employment.
The three headline targets of the new Policy Statement are:
- Revenue from overseas tourism will rise to €5 billion per year by 2025 net of inflation(the comparable figure in 2014 was €3.5 billion),
- There will be 250,000 people employed in tourism by 2025, compared with approximately 200,000 at present, and
- We will attract ten million overseas visits to Ireland by 2025, compared to 7.6 million in 2014.
Minister Donohoe advised the industry that “People Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025 recognises, and endorses at policy level, the work that has been carried out by the tourism agencies, in co-operation with the tourism industry, to identify the most promising segments in overseas markets. This work has influenced a new approach to the development of experiences and propositions that will resonate with the key segments, and convince them to choose Ireland ahead of other destinations. A strong example of this evidence-based approach at work can be seen in the Wild Atlantic Way. This approach to tourism development is being carried out at national and regional level, involving the tourism agencies, the tourism industry, local authorities and communities who are united in a common purpose to present Ireland in a way that will create an even greater impact in overseas markets. There is no doubt that the Wild Atlantic Way is proving very popular and its international reputation will continue to grow in the years ahead. When the proposition was first presented to the Government we were delighted to support it, and indeed budget 2014 provided €8 million in capital investment for its development.”
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD., also acknowledged that it would be impossible to develop a project of this magnitude without the support that has been provided by the local businesses and communities along the Wild Atlantic Way route,
“I would like to acknowledge the role played by people and local businesses all along the route and in the successful development of the Wild Atlantic Way. The route is still being developed but the Wild Atlantic Way is already a central part of our overseas promotion and is hugely popular with the overseas tourist trade. Earlier this week we announced ambitious targets for Irish tourism over the next decade and I have no doubt that the Wild Atlantic Way project will play a significant part in achieving these”.
ENDS