Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Most of the issues I wanted to raise have already been raised, so I will not go back over them. I thank the delegates for very positive presentations. Tourism and the revenue it produces are very important for our economy. That is well acknowledged and I commend everybody involved in contributing to that success. As the delegates know better than most, we need to continuously evaluate that success and see where we can make further improvements. I will try to touch on those and make some general comments.

I mention tourism ambassadors, their role and how they can be utilised to best effect. Some time ago, the Minister announced that the former astronaut Chris Hadfield from Canada had been engaged to try to bring some international attention to Irish tourism and what it can offer, which I welcome. He has a very high profile. Recently, the Kardashians visited Ireland, which in its own way placed a spotlight on Ireland and what it can offer. Will the delegates comment on that?

Coming from Waterford in the south east, I must mention the Viking triangle, which has been supported and is developing into a very successful tourism product. I thank everyone for their support in that regard. There are many volunteer ambassadors who come from the community. They volunteer their time and they train and educate themselves on what the city and the region has to offer. They go out on a voluntary basis, co-ordinated by the local authority. Their role is so important and should be encouraged. Perhaps the delegates might comment on their respective roles within the whole tourism product and how we sell ourselves. The VAT rates have been covered, so I will not go over that again.

The regional benefit and the regional spread in capacity concerns me. Along with colleagues from the regions, I spend a lot of time in Dublin and see the pressures at the various stages throughout the season, and there is no doubt Dublin has capacity issues. There is so much potential to spread that out to the regions with the development of motorways and better access to the regions. I agree with my colleague who mentioned people in the corporates and that we get those employees out to the regions at weekends and at other times as there is so much to offer in the regions.

We commend all those involved in the Wild Atlantic Way, but we have very important tourism initiatives in our regions. In my region, we have the Deise Greenway and the Mount Congreve Gardens. We also have the Comeragh Mountains and the coastline, and the weather is often better than in other parts of the country. We must encapsulate all of that. I do not expect the delegates' organisations to do the groundwork but I expect them to try to co-ordinate all that is positive about the regions and to get more tourists into them. I would be interested to hear what other regional initiatives they might have. The Wild Atlantic Way and the huge push there was mentioned. This is welcome and it must happen, but I would like to see further strategies to develop other areas.

I have a special interest in Canada and I was delighted to hear that somebody from Tourism Ireland - I think the CEO - has gone to Canada. There are huge links between Waterford and Canada in terms of tourism opportunities, including through the Newfoundland links, which have been developed to some degree. I understand new air links have been established from Toronto to Dublin and from St. John's to Dublin. I would be interested to hear how we can develop them and perhaps push the people coming from those areas into the regions. Waterford is the Canada county because of the huge cultural and heritage links that exist between the two locations. I would like to hear whether there are any initiatives to try to develop potential in that area.

The mobile 35s, or people in that age group - people with young families or people who might want to get away for a short break - were mentioned. The work done in advertising was mentioned but the UK is a huge market on our doorstep. There are ready-made links through the regional airports. Waterford has a link with Manchester and Birmingham and there are other opportunities with London. Rosslare Harbour is also on our doorstep.

Are there any new initiatives under way to get people into the regions using the doorstep access that is already there? The value for money available in the regions and the family attractions on offer provide opportunities for further development.

Value for money was mentioned earlier and I presume the tourism organisations conduct customer satisfaction, repeat visit and exit surveys with those who visit Ireland. I ask the witness to provide some information on that. Niche tourism development is very important. Food festivals were mentioned in that regard and there are some very successful food festivals in my own area, including the Waterford and Dungarvan food festivals. Cycling tourism has grown exponentially in recent years and we have some beautiful cycling routes here. The Sean Kelly cycling festival is held in Dungarvan every year and attracts almost 7,000 cyclists. That success can be repeated in other areas of the country. Orienteering, surfing, food and greenways are all niche areas that can be further developed. Cultural heritage also offers opportunities. I know that Mr. Matthews previously worked with the Heritage Council and has a great understanding of that whole area but I believe it is an untapped resource in Ireland, even though some great work is being done. I come from a place called Portlaw which was a planned industrial town that had a population in excess of 5,000 a century and a half ago. Now there are only 1,500 people living there. Those who left are in various parts of the world and we need to try to attract them back to discover their cultural roots. There are enormous opportunities in that regard and I am sure the witnesses are well aware of that. We could develop this aspect of tourism further through modern technology, websites and applications. We could also develop more tangible linkages on the ground.

There are enormous opportunities for this small country and we are ahead of the posse thanks to the great work being done by Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and others. That said, there is a lot more to do.