Mr. Aidan Pender:

The point made by Deputy Harrington is a fundamental one in the tourism debate. It is one in which all of us need to engage more in an effort to move things along. In this regard, we, Fáilte Ireland, talk about spatial distribution of the economic gains of tourism. Tourism as an industry generates economic gains in Ireland, particularly when it is overseas money because as everyone will know it expands the Irish economy. The question is to what extent can we stimulate the spatial distribution of those gains so it does not remain in only the urban centres.

As stated by Ms MacLaverty, we know from research and so on that there is a shortening of stay. People are taking shorter breaks, which is not as much about lifestyles around Europe and North America from where many of our visitors come, but about lifestyles here with people no longer having the same luxury of time as they previously had. As such, they are taking shorter breaks of four, five or six nights. We need to give people alternatives. If not prompted to do otherwise, most consumers will, because they have only a four or five day break, go to Dublin, Galway or Cork city. The challenge always is to ensure people minded to take an urban break are made aware that access in Ireland is so good that even if they arrive at Cork or Dublin city they can be in the west coast in two or three hours, depending on where they want to go. That is now a possibility. As such, a five-night stay would not be compromised by the journey there and back. We are trying to promote this idea through the Wild Atlantic Way, which ensures the west coast of Ireland becomes a compelling, attractive place. We need to do something of this type of begin the spatial distribution. If we think only about local areas we will not rival places like Dublin, Cork, Waterford city and so on.

The Wild Atlantic Way is an attempt to raise things up a level and ensure the west coast of Ireland is seen, in particular by people from Germany, Holland and so on, as something special. If we can get that message out and get people here the Deputy's question of how we motivate them once in Ireland to go to the west coast, to participate, see and do, then arises. It is the see and do that then becomes important. For example, we have invested approximately €2 million in Mizen Bridge and a further €2 million in Garnish Island, which are great tourism assets which are fresh and need to be re-imagined in terms of how visitors engage with them.

Another important area is that of marine tourism. West Cork is a prime location for marine tourism. There is a new debate in support of the spatial distribution. In the past, when people thought about marine tourism, sailing and marinas came to mind. We have undertaken a great deal of research in regard to consumers and marine tourism. What we found is that most visitors and consumers come to the sea from the land. They do not sail to the shore but are on land and travel to the coast to go surfing, kayaking, snorkelling and engage in other marine activities. If we are to get people into the Wild Atlantic Way and motivate them to get out of the cities for their five days, critical to this will be alerting them to what they can do there that is unique. We need to try to build not only a stay in a particular place, but an experience of a place where people can immerse themselves in that place, learn to snorkel or kayak and stay in a hotel, go out for an evening, have a few drinks and listen to some Irish music. A whole range of things add up to an experience. One thing on its own will not work. That is the potential for West Cork. It can pull all of these elements together, namely, accommodation, food, entertainment and natural heritage and the ocean. The trick is to get all of these things into one package so that the consumer when in west Cork rather than choosing to stay in the city will opt for the package which will keep him or her busy for five days and so on. That is where we have to get to.