THE USE of British television to advertise Ireland as a tourist destination has been suspended following the IRA bombings in London, the chairman of the Overseas Marketing Tourism Initiative for Britain said yesterday. Mr Eamon McKeon, who is also the chief executive of Great Southern Hotels, was speaking at the annual conference of the Irish Hotels Federation in Cork.
The London blast would have a serious effect on Irish tourism if the IRA campaign will sustained over a period, according to Ms Margaret Cahill, general manager of Bord Failte in Britain. A package received at its head office in the capital on Monday contained wires and what was initially thought to be explosives, she added. People in Ireland House in central London were evacuated and the police and British army called.
The device had wires and plasticise. The offices were reopened.
The Minister for Tourism and Transport, Mr Kenny, described the Docklands bombing as a tragedy when he addressed the conference.
But enormous optimism persisted for this season and substantial business has been done with British tour operators. The Minister has assured British travel agent that both governments were working to restore confidence in the peace process.
Mr Paddy Fitzpatrick, chairman of the Fitzpatrick group of hotels, said the bombings in London were a disaster for Irish tourism. Many hoteliers would have to reexamine the investment programmes they had planned for another record year for Irish tourism in 1996.
Mr Michael Governey, general manager of the Conrad International Hotel in Dublin, agreed the bombings in London would seriously affect British business to the capital. Last year British weekend visitors filled hotels such as the Conrad. This and conference business from Britain were now under threat.
Mr David Bunworth, sales and marketing director in Aer Lingus said the airline was going ahead with plans to open a Dublin Stansted route. Aer Lingus would provide a full service and would not compete price wise with Ryanair, which currently services the route.
The tourism and industries in Ireland needed far more cooperation, said Mrs Bunworth, adding that the business had too many committees and talking shops with little action on real issues.
"The last thing the country needs is another body to bring these interests together," said Mr Bunworth. "But I would advocate a high level grouping representing the key players in the industry which would look at long term strategic issues in a collective way, come up with a common solution and have access to the corridors of power to translate the ideas into action."
Mr Kenny warned that EL funds under the Operational Programme for Tourism would end shortly. "Realistically, I do not believe that the Exchequer, which in reality is the Irish taxpayer, can be expected to fill the gap in funding which may arise after 1999.
There was a temptation in this country, he said, to avoid looking at hard choices. But the private sector in the tourist industry would have to reconcile itself to meeting more of the promotional and training costs paid for by the EU or the Exchequer.