Seanad debates
Wednesday, 19 November 2003
Report of Tourism Policy Review Group: Statements.
The major part of the report deals with setting a strategy for Irish tourism for the period 2003 to 2012. It lists a number of clear objectives, the most obvious being to double the overseas visitor spend to €6 billion during the next ten years and to increase visitor numbers from just under 6 million to 10 million. These are clearly challenging targets, but I hope, given the right global conditions, that the tourism industry should be strong enough to be there or thereabouts by the time 2012 arrives. However, these are not the only elements in the strategy. There are a number of other targets set out that will be as, if not more, difficult to achieve. A key aim is becoming more competitive. Not only do we face the prospect of pricing ourselves out of the reach of potential customers, but we must also remember the threat posed by other markets. Other countries are increasing the efforts they are putting into growing their tourist revenues and we will face growing competition as a result. Although the tourism market is also likely to grow, we must address the issue of competition or we will lose out.
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