The slow but steady increase in the number of foreign tourists coming to Ireland this year presents an opportune moment to review tourism policy, which Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar has now taken. Last week he began a consultation process involving the general public and the various stakeholders in the tourism industry. Their exchange of views and ideas will help the Government to set policy priorities for the development of the sector, as budgetary constraints limit the financial support the State can provide.
The challenge is to do more with less: first, to identify where Irish tourism enjoys a comparative advantage and then for the Government to focus investment and support in those areas. One illustration of a more focused approach has been the success of the Gathering. This year-long event has attracted many more US visitors to Ireland – a 20.5 per cent rise in the three months to July compared with the same quarter in 2012.
Some 185,000 people work in the tourism sector, which generates €5 billion in revenue annually. And tourism’s continued development and growth remains critical to overall national economic recovery. Low inflation is helping to ensure the sector can remain competitive on costs and now is not the time for the Government to withdraw the temporary VAT reduction that has helped hotels and restaurants to recover.
The challenge is, as Fáilte Ireland chief executive Shaun Quinn has defined it: "How to get better and better at delivering compelling and authentic consumer experiences" for visitors who come. One such is the Great Western Greenway in Mayo. This prize-winning project helped regenerate the local economy while providing tourists with a memorable experience. Another is Loop Head peninsula, recent winner of The Irish Times Best Place to Holiday competition. The public consultation can, hopefully, identify the untapped potential that exists in many other parts of Ireland.