Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Some of the points the Minister makes are certainly welcome. What is the language capability of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland in the supports they are providing to the industry? Are specific initiatives being taken for the Irish Hotels Federation, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, accommodation providers and so on to upskill in Cantonese and Mandarin and to facilitate them in getting China ready, as the Minister described it? I suggest that €1 million is not a very large investment given the kind of market we are seeking to attract. A good example of a country with a similar population to Ireland is New Zealand. Although one could argue it is closer to the Chinese market, New Zealand has some 450,000 Chinese visitors a year. The best example is probably Iceland. While Ireland had between 70,000 and 75,000 Chinese visitors last year, Iceland, a country of just 340,000 people, welcomed 130,000 Chinese tourists in 2016 and those numbers have continued. Will the Minister consider asking Tourism Ireland to increase its commitment to the Chinese market given that Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders, Chinese people undertake the largest number of outbound journeys and China is the fastest growing tourism market? Will he do more and commit more to attracting Chinese people to Ireland and, at the same time, commit to getting our own industry China ready?

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