Tourism has developed rapidly over the past ten years. We had a thriving industry in the 1960s and 1970s as the tourism market was accommodation led, but the industry fell on difficult times and became stagnant. The problem had become so severe that research carried out abroad indicated that Ireland was looked upon as a green desert, in other words, a country with beautiful green scenery but in which there was very little to do. For this reason, the tourism market decided to change tack and opt for a more activity driven approach. More facilities were developed to provide a whole range of activities for tourists. As more of these facilities opened, tourists began to flow back into the country, with the industry subsequently experiencing ten years of unprecedented growth.