Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 217: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he is satisfied that projections in respect of visitors to Ireland in 2009 are expected to be met or exceeded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2679/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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While final year figures are not yet available for 2008, the most recent CSO figures show that there were over 7.3 million overseas visitors to Ireland in the first eleven months of 2008. This is a reduction of just over 2% compared to the corresponding period of 2007. In the context of the exceptionally challenging conditions affecting nearly all of our main markets, including volatile financial markets, economic contraction and negative consumer sentiment, as well as sharply fluctuating fuel costs and exchange rates, Ireland's overall visitor numbers held up quite well in 2008.

Global economic growth is expected to remain weak in 2009. In particular, it is expected that trading conditions in two of our major markets, Great Britain and the United States, will remain particularly challenging. Accordingly, in its Draft Business Plan for 2009, Tourism Ireland, which has responsibility for the overseas marketing of Ireland as a tourist destination, has forecast between 7.1 million and 7.4 million overseas visitors to the Republic of Ireland in 2009. This represents a further slight reduction on the 2008 projected outturn.

The relevant tourism agencies are working together to support the marketing of Irish tourism, to improve our product offerings and to help improve business capability. These are being supported by the positive response of the tourism sector at enterprise level to the challenges we face. I believe the necessary structures and support are in place at this time to facilitate delivery of the projected visitor numbers for 2009.

While I know that our businesses and tourism agencies are responding constructively to current challenges, it is just as important that the strategic framework for tourism development responds to the changing environment. Accordingly, I have recently established the Tourism Renewal Group, which has been tasked with reviewing and, where appropriate, renewing the current tourism strategy, in order to ensure that this strategy is focused for the short term and that the tourist industry is well placed to benefit from the upturn. This group is expected to report before Summer 2009.