Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if he or any of the agencies under his remit provide any funding for marketing to new start up tourist businesses. [18118/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Neither the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport, nor the State tourism agencies provide grant funding for marketing to new start up tourism businesses. The National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland, does however provide a range of business supports to tourism businesses in areas including Sales Connect, Mentoring, Web Check, Online Learning, Professional Development Programmes and Operational and Practical Support. Further information on these supports, including contact details for locally-based Client Service Officers can be found in the Fáilte Ireland brochure "Your Guide to Fáilte Ireland Services 2011" which is available from the Fáilte Ireland website via the following link - http://www.failteireland.ie/Information-Centre/Publications/Corporate-Documents/Corporate/2011_Your_Guide_to_FI_Services .

Fáilte Ireland also has a collection of business guides on how to market your business which would be suitable for a start up company. They are available at:

http://www.failteireland.ie/salesconnecttoolkit

http://www.failteireland.ie/businesstools

http://www.businesstools.failteireland.ie/BusinessTools/media/Business-Tools/documents/Hotel%20Documents/Business-Tools-for-Hotels_02022011.pdf

Tourism Ireland is the agency which markets the island of Ireland overseas as a tourism destination. Tourism Ireland invests in targeted marketing activities in the key source markets overseas for tourism to Ireland.

Tourism Ireland's industry opportunities website provides the Irish tourism industry with information on worldwide promotional opportunities with Tourism Ireland. More information, tips for the industry and registration details can be accessed at www.tourismireland.com/industryopportunities .

In addition, all attractions or accommodation offerings that provide their details to either Fáilte Ireland or the Northern Ireland Tourist Board are available for overseas consumers to find through Tourism Ireland's network of 42 consumer websites - discoverireland.com.