A record £40 million will be spent this year marketing Irish tourism, Bord Failte announced yesterday. Most of the money will come from Bord Failte, the tourism industry and the EU.
The funds include an extra £5 million allocated by the Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, to promote events such as Ireland's hosting of the early stages of the Tour de France.
Bord Failte said yesterday it would deliberately use marketing funds to ensure a fair regional balance in the benefits from tourism. Dublin and the east coast have been gaining proportionately more than other areas in recent years.
Bord Failte said the success of the past few years has prompted a huge investment in accommodation, activities and new products. "The industry must continue to grow to utilise this additional capacity."
Bord Failte is forecasting total growth this year of 8 per cent in visitor numbers, and 9 per cent in revenue from visitors. Last year's targets were met, with revenue exceeding £2 billion for the first time. Visitor numbers reached just over five million, of whom almost 2.9 million came from Britain.
A world-wide call centre is to be introduced for Irish tourism. The new service will ensure that tourists will have all their information needs met and facilitated in every way to buy an Irish holiday.
The call centre will be operated by FEXCO, the Killorglin-based company which recently bought the Gulliver computer system from Bord Failte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. Britain is again expected to perform strongly this year. Bord Failte's target is for a 12 per cent growth in revenue from British visitors, including holiday-makers, business travellers and people visiting friends and relatives.
Irish holidays are currently popular in Britain, Bord Failte says, and the Northern Ireland talks are a positive factor. The outward travel market in Britain is buoyant as people are confident about the economy. Ireland and things Irish are fashionable in the United States and Failte expects that market is expected to grow by 11 per cent in 1998. Continental Airlines will begin a new service this year, the first of the major American carriers to serve Ireland in a number of years.
Growth expectations from Europe are more modest. Germany, in particular, was disappointing in 1997 and no growth is anticipated in the current year. France was also disappointing last year and Bord Failte is hoping for growth of 5 per cent in 1998.
Bord Failte says it will piggyback on Riverdance's European tour this year to promote Irish tourism. Aer Lingus and Ryanair are planning to expand their services to continental Europe. Tyrolean Airways will link Vienna and Dublin directly for the first time this year.