Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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10. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline his proposals to support Irish tourism through the work of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17698/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has primary responsibility for the tourism sector in Ireland. However my Department is also engaged in a broad range of activities to support Tourism Ireland and the overseas promotion of Ireland, recognising the strategic importance of the tourism sector in Ireland.

Under the Trade and Investment Strategy, our Ambassadors lead Local and Regional Market Teams, which includes all of the relevant State agencies including Tourism Ireland. These teams provide important strategic direction and effective coordination of Team Ireland’s activities overseas, with a view to maximising the value and impact of Ireland’s in-market promotional activities including on tourism promotion.

Specific tourism promotion activities supported by the diplomatic network include overseas sales missions organised by Tourism Ireland and the Greening Initiative. More broadly, the diplomatic network also works to raise awareness of, and interest in, Ireland through annual global campaigns, particularly around St. Brigid’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Bloomsday.

These activities are accompanied by high impact digital campaigns that leverage the popular Ireland.ie website, which has received over 53 million pageviews since it was first launched in 2023. Ireland.ie also includes a dedicated section on visiting Ireland.

My Department plays a key role in coordinating Ireland’s overall international promotional work. This is primarily led through the newly established Government Trade Forum, which I chair, and also through the Headquarters Market Team which is co-chaired by officials in my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. Both bodies includes senior representatives from Tourism Ireland.

Government Ministers, including the Minister for Tourism, met with their counterparts from the Northern Ireland Executive at NSMC plenary meetings in April and September last year.

Separately, the Ministers with responsibility for Tourism in both jurisdictions met at a NSMC Tourism Sectoral meeting in June 2024 to progress matters under the Tourism Area of Co-operation. Further Tourism Sectoral meetings are expected to take place in 2025.