Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to increase visitor numbers from China and Hong Kong in view of the new direct air links from Hong Kong and Beijing. [25406/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As an island destination, direct, convenient and competitive access services are critical to achieving growth in inbound tourism for Ireland.

A total of 129 million Chinese people travelled overseas in 2017, making China the world’s largest outbound travel market. Accordingly, China and Hong Kong are important emerging travel markets for Ireland.  The new direct flights from Hong Kong and Beijing offer huge potential to build on progress made in recent years.

As the Deputy is aware, Tourism Ireland is responsible for marketing the island of Ireland in overseas tourism markets. It has a strong network in China, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The organisation’s activity in China involves establishing and building relationships with influential intermediaries, including the travel trade, airlines and media.

To coincide with the launch of the new flight from Hong Kong, Tourism Ireland invited a group of journalists to visit Ireland and to help get positive exposure for Ireland and the new flight through the media in Hong Kong. Tourism Ireland also rolled out a multi-channel campaign with Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region in advance of the launch of the new flight between Hong Kong and Dublin. In addition, it has launched a new website in China, www.DiscoverIreland.cn. The new site, specifically designed for use on mobile devices, is hosted in China and is therefore more accessible for prospective Chinese visitors.

As part of Tourism Ireland’s sales mission to China in May, meetings took place with representatives of both Hainan Airlines in Beijing and Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong, to discuss how to drive demand for and maximise the promotion of both services.

Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, along with Tourism NI, have developed and successfully piloted a ‘China Ready’ training programme for the industry here in Ireland. More than 20 tourism operators around the island of Ireland have already completed such a programme to help them prepare for Chinese visitors.