Irish tourism operators are very confident that the performance of the industry this year will match, if not surpass, 2007. Last year, a record number of visitors came to Ireland, nearly eight million, and tourism revenues rose to €6.5 billion. The relative optimism of the operators is reassuring. Hopefully, it will not prove excessive. Gillian Bowler, the chairwoman of Fáilte Ireland, remains much more cautious about the industry outlook for this year, and with good reason. In her end of year review, she has warned that some clouds of uncertainty do hang over the sector. Tourism growth in 2008, she admits, remains "difficult to assess".
Ms Bowler outlined some of the potential negatives that the industry is facing, which could adversely affect tourism numbers, and depress revenue. One is currency weakness. With the dollar and sterling continuing to decline against the euro, Ireland becomes a more expensive and therefore a less attractive destination for American and British visitors. Another cloud of uncertainty is the continuing turbulence in global financial markets, which serves to depress consumer spending. A high oil price means a continuation of hefty fuel surcharges for air passengers, which makes tourism travel more expensive.
The prospects for the tourism sector, given such a high measure of uncertainty this year, may not be hugely encouraging. Nevertheless, the achievements of the tourism industry should not be minimised. Last year saw the sixth consecutive year of growth, where Irish tourism outperformed its main competitors in northern Europe. Perhaps the most encouraging development of 2007 was the increase in visitor numbers from Europe, up by 15 per cent; with those from Spain rising by 28 per cent. Ireland's unspoilt scenery, the friendliness of the people, and the sense of security were what most impressed the foreign visitors.
Not surprisingly, what least impressed them was the inadequate signposting of our roads, the high cost of eating out, and the unsightly state of some of our litter strewn streets. The complaints of tourists are, in that regard, increasingly echoed by more and more Irish people. Yet little is done by the authorities to make road signs intelligible, to make eating out less expensive, and to tackle the blight of litter, through stricter enforcement of the anti-litter laws. The Irish weather, about which tourists also complain, is a factor outside domestic control and regulation, but the state of our environment, our inadequate road signs, and our overpriced food and drink, are matters within national control.