Sir, - As a very junior partner in what it calls "Tourism Partnership", I have just received a paper from Bord Failte about the professional marketing of the Irish tourism product". The paper states that "the development of a strong and sustainable tourism brand identity for Ireland is now the major challenge facing Bord Failte" and continues: "The work of identifying that ideal brand image, which will strike the chord of appeal for Ireland at an international level has already been initiated with the effect that the national tourism destination is this year being repositioned in overseas market perception".
I am a native English speaker and moderately literate (MA Oxon), but I have no idea what this means. Perhaps your readers. could help? Or is the idea to present Ireland to potential visitors from the UK and the US as an exciting foreign destination whose language, though apparently familiar, is largely incomprehensible?
Bord Failte will be spending £6.5 million this year in the US, Britain, Germany and France, and 95 per cent will go in direct advertising "including the provision of response mechanisms and fulfilment pieces for interested consumers". As a taxpayer I will be contributing to this in a small way, so I do hope that Bord Failte will accept as a minor challenge the need to communicate clearly to those who might like to come here! - Yours, etc.,
Annes Grove,
Castletownroche,
Near Mallow,
Co Cork.