Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Tourism and booking by tourists have changed in recent years. In the past people tended to book their annual holiday months in advance but increasingly they are booking much closer to departure dates and we have had to adapt our marketing strategies to look after them. The fact that the marketing budget for this year, which was increased, is now spent on a more seasonal basis means we are able to respond to different issues. I mentioned the summer marketing campaign of €20 million which started only in May because 60% of our tourists come between May and September. We will launch an autumn marketing campaign but will be able to review what happens in the few months before it starts and can see how best to target that money.

There will be long-term policy initiatives and full discussions with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland on new drives. Only last week, for example, we unveiled Padraig Harrington as our golf ambassador. The potential for golf tourism to this country is enormous and Mr. Harrington is giving very generously of his time in that regard. The same applies to Gabriel Byrne, our cultural ambassador, and whereas culture is valuable in itself there is huge potential for linking culture and tourism, especially with the United States, and Mr. Byrne is throwing himself fully into that.

There are new initiatives such as the "silver surfer" and "golden trekker" whereby people from all over the world, irrespective of the country they come from, can get free rail travel when they come here if they are over 66 years of age. These are significant initiatives that are very attractive to people when they come here, especially for the market from Great Britain. People may come across on the ferry and then get on the train. These are the new and constantly changing initiatives coming up all the time.

The Deputy also asked me-----

See this speech in context