Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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44. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the proposals to intensify co-operation on an all-Ireland basis in expanding our tourism product, and the marketing of Ireland as a single destination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36934/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Enhancing cross-border cooperation and connections has been a core commitment of this Government and tourism has been a key asset in building initiatives that can help to achieve this goal.

At the most recent NSMC Tourism Sectoral meeting both Minister Murphy, from the Northern Ireland Executive, and I agreed to the establishment of an All Island Strategic Tourism Group to identify and examine opportunities that will support the sustainable growth of the tourism sector across the island and advance brand collaboration initiatives north and south. The Strategic Group is co-chaired by officials in my Department and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and has representatives from the three tourism agencies on the Island - Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland. This group met for the first time earlier this month and will meet again later in the year.

Through this strategic tourism project, the tourism agencies are already working closely together on a new all-island tourism brand collaboration and marketing initiative, connecting the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route in the north west region.

This €7.6 million project, which is supported by the Government's Shared Island Fund, is being developed and implemented by the three tourism agencies on the island, in consultation with my Department and the Department for the Economy NI. The aim of the project is to bring synergies between these two magnificent touring routes in such a way that the visitor is motivated to explore further, stay longer and spend more thereby bringing greater economic benefit to the region. One of the key work programmes for the project is a €3 million small grants scheme that was launched in July. The scheme is aimed at greatly enhancing the visitor offering in over 16 visitor experiences along the routes and this launch will be an opportunity for both administrations to showcase the positive news story that the brand collaboration project is for the region.

At present overseas tourism to Ireland is worth approximately €6 billion per year to the economy across the island. Tourism Ireland aims to increase the overall economic value of overseas tourism to the island of Ireland, growing revenue by an average of +5.6% year on year out to 2030, while sustainably supporting economies, communities and the environment.