Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the report published recently by the Dublin City Business Association on tourism in Dublin entitled Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product; his plans to act on the recommendations of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1560/12]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on reports of findings from a recent study on Irish tourism commissioned by the Dublin City Business Association, particularly the aspects of the report relating to the Irish share of the world market and Ireland's marketing spend per arrival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1341/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views that value for money is achieved in our marketing spend to attract tourists to Ireland in view of the finding from the World Tourism Organisation in 2009 that Ireland had the highest marketing spend per tourist arrival of 29 European countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1695/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 70 and 250 together.

There are some interesting and informative points in the recent report commissioned by the Dublin City Business Association, entitled "Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product" which I and my Department are considering. However, there also appear to be some doubtful conclusions.

For example, it is incorrect to say that 6% of Fáilte Ireland's current spending in 2009 was in Dublin. This only reflects funding granted to Dublin Tourism and does not take account of direct spending by Fáilte Ireland that supports tourism in Dublin, e.g. on domestic marketing and sectors concentrated in Dublin such as business tourism. Similarly, Dublin has a very high profile in Tourism Ireland's overseas marketing.

The Report says that in 2009 Scotland attracted 9 million visitors "from abroad". However, data from Visit Scotland show 2.5 million overseas trips to Scotland that year, with 6.5 million visits from the rest of Great Britain. Scotland is a regional market in Britain, sharing the same transport networks and currency and such trips should not be compared to overseas visits.

Ireland's reduction in world market share has to be viewed in the context of Europe's decreasing share of world tourism at the expense of emerging regions such as Asia.

The analysis of Ireland's marketing spend per visitor as the highest in Europe is incorrect as it excludes the two highest spending countries per head, Cyprus and Malta, which like Ireland are peripheral island destinations. In addition, as the report acknowledges, Tourism Ireland markets the whole island; when trips to Northern Ireland are included, spend per head drops very considerably. In terms of value, the World Economic Forum's 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index ranks Ireland 10th of 139 Countries for effectiveness of marketing and branding to attract tourists.

The Government, through Fáilte Ireland, is already supporting capital investment in tourism as we recognise that tourism attractions constantly need refreshing - for example, Dublinia, the Book of Kells experience and all-weather facilities in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar have all received or have been approved for investment support from Fáilte Ireland.