Upton : A clear future development strategy needed for irish tourism
Issued : Tuesday 27 April, 2010
Mary Upton TD spoke at the CLARE TOURISM FORUM hosted by Labour Women and Clare Labour.
SPEECH BY MARY UPTON TD
Labour Party Spokesperson on Tourism, Culture and Sport
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Speaking at the Labour Clare and Labour Women Tourism Forum on 'The
Role of Tourism in the Economic Recovery' at The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon Co. Clare
A CLEAR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY NEEDED FOR IRISH TOURISM
I am delighted to have an opportunity to address this forum on Tourism, especially in my home county, which has one of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in the country and has so much to offer its visitors.
It is an unwelcome reality that the importance of tourism to Irish society and to our fragile economy is consistently underappreciated. Partly, this is due to Government policy that historically has undervalued the role that Tourism, together with Culture and Sport, play in society and our economy. Since 1997 the Department, in its various different forms, has been considered the "Ministry for Fun", the best place to organise a junket from, or the Department of Demotion. I find this kind of disrespect and arrogance insulting to the areas that this Ministry is supposed to represent, but no surprise from a Party that has come to view power not as a privilege but as a right bestowed on them because Haughey and Ahern ordained it so.
But among the wider society, the value of tourism is frequently under-appreciated. This stems partly from the integrated nature of the sector with tourists spending in the local economy (i.e. shops, petrol stations) not readily identifiable as tourist revenue. But the importance of tourism should not be underestimated. In 2008 it contributed €6.3 billion in revenue, 4% of Gross National Product (GNP), to the Irish economy. Employment in the accommodation and food sector alone accounted for 128,400 jobs in 2008. This was more than the amount of people employed in the agriculture, forestry and fishing or the financial services sector. An audience in Clare is well aware that the value of tourism also lies in the employments and economic benefits it provides to smaller communities. Towns such as Doolin, Lisdoonvarna of Kilkee, rely heavily on the tourist industry to keep their area economically vibrant.
Globally, tourism suffered its worst year in recent memory in 2009. And just like in every other sector, Ireland fared worse than most. Almost 1 million fewer foreign visitors came to Ireland in 2009, a decline of 11.6%. The United Kingdom, our single largest market, declined by 15.9% and the total number of visitors was below that in 2005. The tourists that did holiday in Ireland, both domestic and foreign, also spent less on holiday, primarily due to less disposable income. The recent volcano eruption in Iceland has caused travel chaos for thousands and further damaged our already imperilled tourism, accommodation and transport sectors. Figures released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office show that tourism continues to struggle with trips to Ireland down 24% in February.
While there are many reasons to be negative about the tourism outlook for 2010 and beyond, negativity gets you nowhere. What we need, and what the Labour Party is currently researching, are new and innovative ideas to stimulate both domestic and international tourism. Notwithstanding central Government's inaction, it must be said that some semi state companies are taking up the challenge of providing imagination and innovation. The recently launched "Golden Trekker" free rail travel scheme for over 66s is an excellent idea as the "Grey market" tend to travel for longer periods of time and to spend more money. It can also provides priceless word of mouth about holidaying in Ireland, the best form of marketing, as tourists tell their friends of the benefits of travelling in Ireland. The other good idea is the new campaign from Fáilte Ireland "The Fun Starts Here" which is designed to show domestic tourist the scope of activities, sights and festivals in Ireland and to encourage them to not to have a holiday but instead to have a "staycation". These are just two recent initiatives which I think are excellent and showcase the ability of Irish semi states. Imagine what they could achieve if they had a Government which had a Minister who took Tourism seriously, who wanted to get stuck into her Department?
When one looks at Clare for example, it offers such a myriad of activities that visitors both foreign and domestic alike can enjoy and may not be aware of. From traditional music in Lisdoonvarna, shopping in Ennis or walking the Cliffs of Moher to less well known attractions such as Scattery Island or the little Ark in Kilbaha, the county offers a full suite of attractions to encourage tourists of all ages and tastes. Surveys have shown that visitors rate the Irish scenery and Irish people as the country's two greatest assets. But it is the diversity available in Ireland, in counties such as Clare, or Galway or Tipperary, which is Ireland's hidden potential, which needs to be addressed.
What the Irish tourist industry, the tens of thousands employed in tourism, and the towns and businesses from Carrigaholt to Carlingford, from Killimer to KInsale, which derive huge benefit from Tourism, need is a clear future development strategy. We have plenty of assets that we can capitalise on. We have other issues which need to be addressed and we have certain challenges which need immediate action from the Government.
The airport travel tax. With Shannon airport so close by, everyone will be aware of the serious pressure that airports are under. As an island nation it makes no sense to create further barriers to entry to the country that an air travel tax creates. The money that has been earned by the tax is more than offset by the loss in tourism revenue. Indeed our colleagues in some of our EU neighbours, such as Holland, have removed the travel tax. And this is a country with road and rail links to many other countries, not an island nation on the edge of Europe!
Signage: Together with our poor transport infrastructure and our litter issue, this is one of the major negatives frequently cited by foreign tourists. Signage in Ireland varies from excellent to poor to downright misleading. Both rural and urban areas need an overhaul of signage. As a precursor to this we are advocating a review of the existing signage to be carried out and submissions taken from interested parties. We also intend to advocate cutting edge technology being introduced. From interactive and smart mapping in cities to GPS and mobile apps, we intend to develop a new generation of signage which is fit for purpose in the 21st century from tourist and citizen alike.
Tourism Marketing Fund: In order for tourists to visit Ireland, they need to know about it. In order for someone in Dublin to visit Lahinch, they need to be informed that it has the facilities to allow for a surfing weekend. This is where marketing comes in. Marketing is the bread and butter of attracting tourists into our towns and cities. It has to be looked at as an investment in the sector which reaps rewards in terms of the number of tourists visiting Ireland. To reduce this budget significantly is a short sighted measure that is "penny wise and pound foolish". The Labour Party supports the retention of the Marketing Fund, particularly at a time when we can achieve significantly more return from a similar investment due to reduced advertising costs.
Visas: While it is right that we concentrate on our core markets in times of severe pressure, the majority of 21st century growth in global tourism will come from emerging markets such as China and India. This offers a great opportunity for Ireland, but also presents significant challenges. In some cases persons from countries such as China have to apply for a visa up to 6 months in advance. In today's internet age where flights and accommodation to any country are just a click away, how realistic is it that someone with no contacts to Ireland will spend 6 months applying for a visa. Any reform would have to recognise that there are sensitive issues here regarding the Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom and the Schengen arrangements in the European Union (EU). This is matter primarily for the Department of Justice, but it is one which can and should be addressed by the Government.
A Language Strategy: Traditionally Irish tourism has been dominated by visitors who share cultural, historical and linguistic ties with Ireland. The growth markets in 21st century tourism will not share these same historical ties. To meet this challenge we need a language strategy for our Tourism industry. This must address the issues surrounding the lack of language skills among many who work in the tourism industry or the need to offer language translation at our major tourist sites.
These are just a small flavour of the issues that the party is working on to produce a comprehensive tourism policy which charts our priorities for addressing issues in the tourism industry once we are in power. I would welcome any comments or opinions you have on the issues I have addressed today, or your opinion on how we can develop Tourism locally and nationally.
The Labour party's vision is to work to create La Cheile, One Ireland. An Ireland where rural life is cherished equally to urban, where women are free to shatter glass ceilings in any industry, where people from Donegal or Drumcondra choose to holiday in Clare instead of the Canaries because of quality, choice and culture. To help achieve our aims in tourism, in politics, we need the support and hard work of people on the ground. Clare has never been a strong area for the Labour Party. But as Bob Dylan once said, the times they are a changin'. Irish people want leadership, people want something different not just the same old choice between tweedle dum and tweedle dee. Irish people want a Government that serves all of the people most effectively, not just to bail out there friends and donors. Labour offers this change in a way that no other party can. As James Connolly famously said "The cause of Labour is the cause of Ireland and the cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour ".
I want to finish by expressing the wish that Tourism in Ireland grows, develops and boosts the economy for 2010 and that the Labour Party in Clare will have its own representative in Dail Eireann following the next general Election. I will always be delighted to come to Clare to help in any way I can with Labour Party activities but I will be more than happy to give way to your very own elected representative after the next election.
ENDS.
Contact Mary Upton at 087 245 6968
