Despite the prospect of Brexit, tourism in Ireland will go from strength to strength in the future, Minister for Tourism Shane Ross has said.
Speaking at the launch of the Irish Tourism Industry Awards 2017 on Wednesday morning, he said he did not believe the "prophets of doom" in the sector or that tourism was going to "take a big dive" following the UK's vote to leave the EU.
“I think it is going to increase even more in the years to come,” he said.
Tourism has been growing in Ireland since 2011, and more than 5.4 million visitors came here in the first half of 2016, an increase of 13 per cent on the same period in 2015.
However, following the result of the UK’s Brexit referendum in June, industry experts have warned of the potential impact of the vote on Ireland.
Tourism Ireland said the industry would be one of the first sectors to feel the impact of Brexit, because of the fall in the value of sterling.
Economic uncertainty could also make people more cautious about discretionary spending and could impact visitor numbers.
On Wednesday, Mr Ross told tourism industry representatives that the continued growth in the sector since 2011 reflected the expertise and qualities of the people employed in the industry, assisted by “supportive government policies and strong annual investment in the sector through the tourism agencies”.
“As Minister, I am very committed to tourism and wish to see the sector continue to innovate in order to realise its full potential,” he said.
The Minister also told those attending the launch at the CHQ Building in Dublin that tourism was the third leg of his portfolio, along with transport and sport.
“I made the mistake of saying sport is the fun part a little while ago, and it turned out to be a rather controversial statement,” he said.
“Tourism is the only leg left where there is a certain amount of peace and quiet.”
Opportunity
Also speaking at the awards launch, chairman of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation Paul Gallagher said the event offers an opportunity to celebrate best-practice and excellence in the industry.
He said employment in tourism had increased by a further 10,000 in the last 12 months and the industry continued to grow and provide jobs throughout the economy.
“Saying that, we must continue pro-tourism policies and investment strategies to ensure sustainable growth,” he said.
He warned that growth and regional balance should not be taken for granted, and decisions taken in Budget 2017 would be critical to the sector’s performance, especially in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum.
The awards, due to be held in February next year, are organised by the confederation, in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland.
They recognise and promote companies and organisations that are judged to have made significant contributions to Irish tourism and to increasing overseas visitor numbers.
There are three main categories: international initiatives, tourism innovations and tourism experiences.
The closing date for entries is November 18th.
