Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on sustainable tourism in Ireland. Climate change and environmental deterioration are among the greatest challenges facing humanity at present. Ireland is a green island nation that depends heavily on its environment. Our environment is a crucial factor in the global reputation and success of many sectors of the economy, including fishing, agriculture and nature-based tourism. It must be protected across all spheres, counties and sectors. Sustainable tourism does not relate to the environment alone. The United Nations defines "sustainable tourism" as "tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities". If sustainable tourism is to be responsible, a long-term view of its impacts must be taken. Tourism must be promoted in a way that works to the benefit of the wider community and ensures future generations continue to enjoy Ireland's built and natural heritage. Our tourism industry must work for everyone. We must help visitors to minimise their own environmental impacts. We must ensure that visitors to Ireland are spread out regionally. These principles must underpin our tourism economy so that it works for all of us and is sustainable in the long term.

I will explain what this means in an Irish context. We must help the tourism industry to reduce its impact on the environment. We can begin by promoting more sustainable means of transport within Ireland, including rail, cycling and public transport. Rail tourism is an area of growth around the world. We are familiar with the various inter-railing schemes around Europe. More recently, efforts have been to promote rail use among American visitors. More must be done to promote this type of travel among international and domestic tourists. Increased funding is needed for the advertisement of these activities. Other common-sense measures include the linking of schedules across modes of transport such as ferries and trains. I understand that trains do not leave Rosslare Europort at the same time as ferries arrive. That does not make any sense. Cycling should be encouraged because it is a fantastic means of seeing the country without generating an ounce of carbon. According to early indications, the €53 million fund that has been allocated for the development of greenways between 2018 and 2021 may be oversubscribed. I encourage the Minister to consider increasing this fund to facilitate more projects. There is a clear need to adapt a more holistic approach to the construction of the greenway network. We need to make fuller use of existing infrastructure, such as quieter country lanes. The greenway between Mullingar and Athlone was rolled out most efficiently along an old railway line. It was one of the first greenways in the country. We should be looking along those lines.

Sustainable tourism is not just about carbon emissions. We must be proactive as we seek to ensure all of Ireland's counties and towns, and not just a lucky few, benefit from tourism. In 2017, Dublin attracted over a third of this country's overall tourism spend. By contrast, the entire midlands area generated just 2% of that spend. Given that economic activity in this country is concentrated in the capital, this imbalance needs to be addressed. I imagine that the opening of the Center Parcs facility in the midlands will help to redress this imbalance. We should work with those who are promoting the new hidden heartlands brand to ensure the people who visit Center Parcs in County Longford spend money elsewhere in the region and see what else midland counties such as Longford and Westmeath have to offer. Greenway projects can be very beneficial in this context. The 46 km greenway in County Waterford attracted 250,000 visitors in its first year. It has broadened the tourism offering in that region.

These projects can serve as a catalyst for further tourism investment and growth in areas where they are most needed. Again, I would refer to the greenway between Mullingar and Athlone which will really accelerate when it is fully open between Dublin and Galway. Westmeath County Council opened a tender this week to extend it between Garrycastle and Athlone, across the Shannon and into the Roscommon side of Athlone. We need to see an acceleration of that project to roll it out the whole way to Galway. When that greenway from the east coast right over to the west coast is complete, it will be a huge attraction in that part of Ireland. More broadly speaking, specific funding should be provided for the development of sustainable tourist attractions such as in our national parks and areas of special environmental interest such as the Burren, our bogs and wetlands and our native forests. These areas have the dual benefit of being located outside the main hub of Dublin and of promoting our understanding and appreciation of the landscape and environment around us.

Regarding the overall market, it is also important to plan long term and to bring in a diversity of visitors to Ireland from overseas markets. This has the dual benefit of boosting the economic resilience of our tourism market and increasing the diversity of that market. Some work has already been done to promote Ireland's offering to the Chinese and broader Asian markets. This is positive and must be continued to ensure that Ireland remains a top destination for these travellers. There are three times more Chinese tourists visiting New Zealand than visiting Ireland, even though both countries are similar distances away and have a similar offering. In that context, there is significant potential to grow that market. Chinese tourists spend well when they come to Ireland. Given the way that visitor numbers from our nearest neighbour, Britain, have fallen off in recent years, we need to look at expanding to more diverse markets, and I while acknowledge that work is being done in that regard, we need to put greater resources behind that work.

The long-term attractiveness of Ireland as a tourist destination for all visitors hinges on our ability to deliver a top-quality product at affordable prices. Recent reports and surveys on the cost of basic consumer services such as accommodation and dining out suggest that Ireland's prices are spiralling out of control, which is worrying. We have anecdotal evidence suggesting this and it is backed up by reports and surveys. In situations where sandwiches are costing €12, we are pricing ourselves out of the game. I and my Fianna Fáil colleagues have repeatedly pointed out that much more needs to be done to reduce the cost of doing business in Ireland. As was mentioned during the Order of Business earlier today and on many other occasions in this House, we need to tackle the high cost of insurance, particularly public liability insurance. Fraudulent insurance claims being made against businesses in the hospitality sector do not help in this regard and must be stamped out. We also need to address the issue of commercial rates which are totally unfair. They do not take into account the ability of a business to pay. I firmly believe that the commercial rates system should be reviewed with the aim of making it far more equitable. One way to do this is to base charges on ability to pay, that is, on the turnover or profit of a business. Ultimately commercial rates are a tax on business and should be based on the ability to pay, related to profits made. Another area that must be addressed is access to credit and our high interest rates. It is still far more expensive to borrow money in Ireland than in many other European countries. That is not fair and must be addressed by the Government. There are many people who want to invest in the tourism industry but the costs involved are prohibitive.

The bottom line is that Ireland is very lucky in terms of the tourism product on offer here, from our stunning landscapes to our vibrant cities and cultural life, our midland lakes and many other attractions. It is up to us to ensure that this offering is leveraged to work for us all and to deliver maximum benefit to our nation and citizens.

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