Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and will begin by being parochial because it is relevant to this discussion. Cavan town recently became a beacon for the Irish tourism industry and I hope it will experience a further boost in tourism because it scooped a prestigious European visitor award. Cavan town tied for first place as the best place for people with disabilities in the World Responsible Tourism Awards. It was the only Irish finalist on the list and this accolade was awarded in recognition of efforts made to make the town and its environs accessible to visitors with disabilities. Winning the award was recognition of the work undertaken in this area in the past seven years in Cavan town. The award for best place for people with disabilities is awarded to a tourist attraction or facility that makes holiday experiences accessible and enjoyable for all, making everyone equally welcome, whatever their physical or mental challenges. The organisers of the awards explained the category by saying that responsible tourism should be accessible to all travellers. The focus of the category is on attractions, facilities and providers that set the standard for accessible tourism practices and serve as an example to the tourism industry. Since an access audit in 2007, Cavan has made major efforts to become a fully accessible town. Cavan County Council introduced various changes to the town, such as introducing by-laws to prevent street signage and furniture blocking footpaths.

The tourist board works closely with hotels and other accommodation providers to ensure that they understand the social and economic benefits of enhancing accessibility. This has been supported by an advisory group which comprises 13 local disability groups. Cavan County Council has provided training for 100 people in disability awareness and 500 local businesses have been audited by the UK organisation Disabled Go with regard to accessibility within the businesses. Cavan has already received a European Commission EDEN award for accessible tourism. The town stands as one of the most prominent examples of what all towns can do when it comes to providing equal access to residents and tourists alike. I take this opportunity to commend all those involved in this ongoing process. The example Cavan Town is providing for other towns throughout the island cannot be underestimated.

The promotion of tourism acts as the storefront to promote Ireland and Irish businesses. The brand of Ireland enhances the standing of Irish industries and products and many tourists who come and enjoy the experience return to invest in the island. The Made in Ireland brand remains a high-quality brand throughout the globe. However, often visitors and potential investors do not differentiate between Ireland North and South. When tourists come to Ireland they want to experience the Ring of Kerry as much as the Giant's Causeway. They prefer to see the history of Ireland in a holistic manner from Viking Waterford to the Rising in Dublin to the peace process in the North. Visitors are attracted by the good work of Tourism Ireland, which seeks to promote tourism on the island of Ireland as a whole. However, when a tourist comes to Ireland there is perhaps something disjointed between Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the competing websites of Discover Ireland and Discover Northern Ireland. This takes away from the seamless experience that tourists seek and they may not understand the separate tourism infrastructure when they are here.

One way to see this and show the problem in stark relief is when a tourist wants to stay in the Border counties. There are competing websites to negotiate for a tourist who wishes to stay a night in Fermanagh and a night in Cavan. The Fáilte Ireland site will ask which county the tourist wishes to visit but obviously the six northern counties are missing. As a Cavan woman I am aware that we do not live in a coastal resort, but a visitor could be taken by surprise if she thought from looking at the menu on the website that nothing existed above Louth, Monaghan, Cavan and the peninsular part of Donegal. This is not the first time I have raised this particular example in the Seanad, but I hope it will be one of the last. We need to end this confusion. There is an unnecessary duplication or division.

The potential of Irish tourism has been commented on previously. In the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013, Ireland ranked 19th for overall travel and tourism competitiveness and seventh under the travel and tourism regulatory framework heading. The report highlighted how travel and tourism are critical sectors of the Irish economy. The report noted that 128 of every 1,000 jobs in the economy in 2012 were in these sectors and predicted a 2% growth in the number up to 2022. We need to unlock further the potential of the tourism industry and we should work in closer co-operation with our colleagues in the North.