Sector faces tough competition in attracting visitors to Ireland, writes Claire Shoesmith
If you had the choice of visiting any country in Europe, where would you go? Would you be tempted by France's tradition of good wine and strong cheese? Would it be the canals and lively nightspots of the Netherlands that catch your eye, or will you be enticed by the museums and royal tradition of the UK's capital, London?
The decision is difficult and one that demonstrates the huge competition Ireland faces attracting visitors to the country.
In the first nine months of this year, 5.4 million overseas trips were made to Ireland - an increase of 5 per cent on the same period last year, according to figures released last month by Tourism Ireland. The agency said this week it expects that number to reach 8.1 million by the end of the year and that overseas tourism revenue will have raised just under €4 billion in the same period, slightly up on the amount raised in 2004. Next year, the agency has set itself a target of 8.5 million visitors and overseas tourism revenue of €4.2 billion.
This week, Tourism Ireland unveiled a €50 million three-year global advertising campaign, aimed at reaching an audience of 200 million through online, print and television advertising. The theme of the campaign is: "discover your own Ireland", and it promotes tailor-made holidays.
Speaking in an interview after the launch of the campaign, Tourism Ireland chief executive, Paul O'Toole, said that, while people generally have a good image of Ireland, they tend not to be sure what to do when they arrive in the country.
He said that the new campaign will place an increased emphasis on the holiday experience in Ireland as well as Ireland as a destination in itself. The advertising will direct people towards an information website, www.discoverireland.com, where they can research their holiday, book accommodation, and chart their own vacation planner. Holidays can still be booked over the phone for those who don't have internet access.
According to O'Toole, tourism is Ireland's largest indigenous industry in the internationally traded services sector. More than 150,000 people are employed in the industry as a whole, which accounts for 4-5 per cent of the economy in the Republic and about 2 per cent in the North.
"It's an industry that's growing, but one that needs to focus on its competitiveness to win its share of business in a global marketplace where competition is ferocious," says O'Toole.
The increase in the number of visitors to Ireland this year has been due mainly to an influx of tourists from central Europe, according to Tourism Ireland's most recent figures.
About 80 per cent of Ireland's visitors come from the UK, North America, France and Germany. In 2005, Europeans holidaying here increased by 17 per cent to 1.9 million. People travelling from Britain increased by 2.5 per cent to 4.8 million, while the number of Americans visiting Ireland showed a flat performance of just under one million.
However, O'Toole said that the agency had seen an increase in the number of visitors from Spain, Italy and the Netherlands coming into the country, as well as a rise in the number of Australians. He said that Tourism Ireland also hopes to focus on new markets such as India and China.
"The low-fare airline phenomenon has been critical in developing the business from short-haul markets," says O'Toole.
"The investments by Ryanair, EasyJet and Aer Lingus are really playing a major part in growing the business for short-haul markets. Now we have to expand the focus to include other locations."
Over the coming months, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland plan to recruit 6,000 people to work in tourism in every county, as part of their plan to attract visitors to all parts of the island. Tourism Ireland's €50 million campaign comes on top of a record €134 million from the Exchequer for tourism next year.
Fáilte Ireland has also set aside €1 million to support innovation in tourism and to invite people with novel ideas to apply for funding.
One of the aims of this project, according to Shaun Quinn, chief executive of Fáilte Ireland, is to encourage Irish people to holiday in Ireland. The group is also providing additional funding to upgrade foot and cycle paths throughout the countryside.
O' Toole said that the new advertising campaign is aimed primarily at visitors seeking sightseeing and culture, which includes outdoor activities and social adventures.
The Irish Hotels Federation has forecast that the Ryder Cup, which will be held in Co Kildare next September, will boost the economy by as much as €130 million. O'Toole has described the event as "a magnificent opportunity" to promote Ireland.
For Tourism Ireland, its main hope is that its new advertising campaign, combined with the Ryder Cup, will help the island of Ireland maintain its hold on the 1.6 per cent share of people visiting European countries that it has built up over the past few years and, more importantly, add to the increasing share of European tourism receipts Ireland is taking from its rival destinations.