Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 29 March 2023

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media

Challenges Facing Providers of Tourist Accommodation in Ireland: Discussion

Mr. Caeman Wall:

I will give a quick response, if I may, on cultural tourism and perhaps Mr. Gibbons will speak on our tourism policy planning. We have a strong awareness of cultural tourism. Historically, we have reached out to members of Ireland’s diaspora around the globe over the years and while we continue to focus on them, we are also looking at what we call the "affinity diaspora". These are people who do not necessarily have an immediate connection with Ireland but feel connected through music, dance, movies and all the rest of it. This is something we are very alive to and I suspect Tourism Ireland may be able to tell the Senator how important that is around the globe.