Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts he has taken to promote an all Ireland tourism strategy; the steps he has taken to bring about closer coordination in terms of marketing and planning between the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Fáilte Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45121/12]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tourism was specifically identified in the Good Friday Agreement as one of the key areas for North/South cooperation and consequently one on which the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meets in Sectoral format. The Council meets in this format in order to make decisions on common policies and approaches in the area of tourism including decisions on policies and actions to be implemented by Tourism Ireland Limited, the body responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a tourist destination.  Funding for Tourism Ireland's operations is provided by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and by my Department in the South.

The last NSMC meeting in Tourism Sectoral format took place on 25 January last while the next one is scheduled to take place on 28 November in Armagh. Amongst the items likely to be discussed at the meeting are a review of this year's visitor numbers to the island of Ireland, Tourism Ireland's Business Plan for 2013 and major tourism opportunities north and south in 2013. 

In terms of overall approaches to tourism development on the island of Ireland, the Deputy may be aware that the Tourism Recovery Taskforce (TRT), which was formed in early 2011 with the aim of ensuring growth in inbound tourism, includes representation from Fáilte Ireland, the NITB and Tourism Ireland as well as other relevant stakeholders in the tourism sector North and South. It is expected that the recommendations of the TRT will form input to the Business Plans of the tourism agencies for the years ahead.

In terms of the general coordination between the tourism agencies, the Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland and the Chair of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board both sit on the Board of Tourism Ireland.  The Fáilte Ireland Authority also meets the Board of Tourism Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board on an ongoing basis to discuss issues of mutual interest on tourism.   Furthermore the Chief Executives and senior management teams in Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board work hard to foster ever closer working relationships between the agencies. This includes joint preparation of marketing programmes.