Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill. I also welcome the increase in funding to €150 million for future capital investment. There are some fine examples of the impact such investment can have and one which comes readily to mind and which was opened recently is the Mayo greenway. This project, which has won wide acclaim, shows how we can generate tourism in an eco-friendly manner. As Deputy Hannigan stated, the tourism market has grown by 12% during the past six months. This is evidence of the investment the Government has made in the tourism sector through the jobs initiative and the reduction in VAT. It also highlights the impact of increased advertising in respect of quality holiday destinations in Ireland. There is a need to obtain value for money in respect of the money we are investing, and a long-term analysis must be carried out to ensure such value for money will be forthcoming. In that context, some form of review mechanism must be put in place.

There is one area in which there is major potential in respect of tourism in Ireland and that is the cruise ship industry. In the current year alone some 80 cruise ships will visit Dublin. This industry could be expanded to Cork and Galway. People who take cruises are high-end, valued tourists and they contribute to the economy in a substantial manner. I request that a proportion of the money we are intent on investing in tourism be set aside for the purpose of investigating the possibility of developing a terminal in this country at which cruise liners could commence and end their voyages. This would give rise to added value through the creation of additional bed nights. Evidence from other countries shows the benefits to which cruise liner terminals can give rise. For example, only ten years ago the city of Boston in the United States only received visits from 50 cruise liners per year. However, when a terminal was put in place, this number increased to between 80 and 100 per year and additional bed nights resulted. There is a great opportunity for Ireland to develop this type of high-end tourism product.

I am concerned with regard to one statistic, namely, that which relates to the service price and value. Tourism surveys show that the latter has been falling off in recent years. We must increase our efforts in this regard. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising. If a tourist comes to Ireland, returns home and states that he or she had a good time and obtained good value, that is worth more than any newspaper or television advertisement. We must ensure tourists have a good experience when they visit this country.

I ask the Minister of State to give serious consideration to developing the aspect of the tourism industry which relates to cruise liners, particularly in respect of major cities such as Galway, Cork and Dublin. An investment in this regard would realise a massive return over a number of years. It must be remembered that when a cruise liner docks in a port, it brings with it approximately 3,500 tourists.

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