Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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5. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide for the establishment a stand-alone tourist promotion campaign for the mid-Cork area of County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37015/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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My role and that of my Department in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy development and in securing resources to assist the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in implementing that policy. The question of how best to develop tourism in mid-Cork and whether a stand alone tourism promotion campaign could help in this regard are primarily operational matters for the agencies in the first instance.

I am aware however that Fáilte Ireland’s focus on promoting the regions has included significant investment into brand building through individual ‘Keep Discovering’ campaigns. In this regard, each of the four regional experience brands continue to be promoted across a mix of TV, press, radio, digital and social. Fáilte Ireland's focus on building the regional brands is designed to encourage domestic tourists to visit destinations across the country and through online sales and marketing supports, help local industry to convert this interest into increased sales for their business.

In relation to Cork specifically, various subgroups have been established as part of the implementation of the Destination and Experience Development Plans to consider and implement actions relating to the development of the destination with representation from the tourism industry in Cork and Fáilte Ireland. These subgroups will work with partners to develop the destination through various agencies and channels including Tourism Ireland, Discover Ireland, Pure Cork and other relevant entities where possible. I understand that Cork continues to feature prominently in ongoing marketing activity being undertaken by Fáilte Ireland and this will continue in the shoulder season. Furthermore, Tourism Ireland will continue to promote holidays to Ireland in the off-peak season in all of our significant overseas markets and all areas of Ireland including Cork will benefit from this marketing activity.

Finally, in relation to national policy, I am currently finalising a new Tourism Policy Framework which will mainstream sustainability across the entire sector in the period to 2030. While it will aim to grow the tourism sector, the objective will be to do so in a manner consistent with our broader sustainability targets. The new Tourism Policy Framework will address policy objectives related to tourism careers, innovation, product development and how to ensure that all regions of Ireland benefit from sustainable tourism growth in the years ahead. I hope to have the Policy Framework finalised in the coming weeks.