John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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854. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the specific targets and actions he has set to address the tourist number decline from the UK in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12463/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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In January 2018, the total number of trips to Ireland by overseas residents increased by 3.8% to 585,500 - an overall increase of 21,400 compared to twelve months earlier. Trips by residents of Great Britain decreased by 4.4%.

Tourism Ireland has a programme of marketing activity in place for 2018 to keep Ireland front of mind for British visitors. That marketing effort will continue throughout the year. In addition, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland launched an initiative, specially designed to boost tourist numbers from Britain to the Wild Atlantic Way. A €1.35 million marketing campaign in Britain will be complemented by a Fáilte Ireland €500,000 programme to support businesses along the Wild Atlantic Way to position themselves to benefit from the campaign, as well as to boost its own marketing campaigns in Northern Ireland.

Additionally, Fáilte Ireland’s 'Get Brexit Ready' programme offers a suite of industry supports, designed to help businesses meet specific Brexit-related challenges. The programme allows individual businesses to self-assess their exposures and risks and provides a range of interventions to match their needs.

Finally, in Budget 2018, with Brexit in mind, €2m in capital funding was specifically secured for Tourism Ireland to invest in strengthening its digital infrastructure, deepening its understanding of the all-important overseas consumer and developing new creative content, for roll out from 2019, that will give Ireland real stand-out and inspire and motivate people across the world to visit Ireland.