Questions to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Mr. Paschal Donohoe, TD)
To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount invested on an annual basis by Fáilte Ireland to market County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter – Jerry Buttimer
To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the strategies and policies his Department and / or Fáilte Ireland have in place to promote County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Jerry Buttimer
To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department and-or Fáilte Ireland will provide a commitment to market Cork city as a destination and stop-off point for visitors to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Jerry Buttimer
For WRITTEN ANSWERS on Tuesday, 10 March 2015.
REPLY
Tourism Ireland is the North/South body with responsibility for the overseas promotion of the island of Ireland as a tourism destination, while Fáilte Ireland has responsibility for encouraging, promoting and supporting tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy – including through domestic tourism marketing.
Accordingly I have referred these questions to the two tourism agencies for direct reply on any marketing initiatives to promote County Cork, Cork City and County Kerry. The Deputy should advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within ten working days.
I would add that the role of Tourism Ireland is not to promote individual locations but rather the island of Ireland. Similarly, even at a domestic level, an administrative authority area is not a tourism destination and Irish consumers will choose tourism destinations on the basis of the particular attractiveness of its tourism experience rather than an administrative designation. In doing so, of course, agencies and others can highlight the range of attractions, experiences and services which tourists can enjoy in destinations. In that regard, it not so much a question of agency expenditure but of the readiness of those tourist experiences to actively contribute to the promotional effort, at home or abroad.