The confirmation that Ireland will reach its 1997 tourism targets is welcome news, especially after a blip in the summer season which suggested they might fall short. This is now the 11th consecutive year of growth, a remarkable record by any standard. Over the past decade, foreign exchange earnings from tourism have more than doubled and will reach well over £2 billion in the current year. One job in 12 now depends on this industry.
Yesterday, Bord Failte expressed confidence that the growth will continue into next year. The Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, has pledged an extra £5 million to the tourist board for its international marketing programme in 1998. However, the Minister has also warned, somewhat illogically, that the industry must bear a greater financial responsibility for its international marketing. The industry, naturally enough, would be happy to let the taxpayers finance as much of this activity as possible. The price it pays is that it loses a measure of control over how the money is spent. At the end of the day, the industry is better placed than, say, Bord Failte or Dr McDaid's Department to decide where investment will gain the best return.
It is now universally agreed that the benefits of tourism growth are unequally shared. Dublin and the east grew by 85 per cent in the period 1990-1996. During the same period in the west, growth was 41 per cent and in Dr McDaid's home territory of the north-west it was 20 per cent. Dublin's advantages are that it is a capital city and has predominantly the best access, both by air and sea. However, Dublin's facilities are often over-stretched, as a visitor to the airport will observe at almost any time of the year. From a national perspective, it would make sense to divert some traffic away from the capital. This is something Dr McDaid would like to see happen. While in principle one can agree, visitors should not be pressurised to go to Donegal or Leitrim unless they want to. The demand must be created first; the virtues of the northwest must be demonstrated by an intelligent and coherent marketing drive. Dr McDaid should urge Bord Failte, if it needs urging, that one of the most precious assets in need of protection is the intangible one embodied in the old slogan - Ireland of the Welcomes. There is a view that the cead mile failte is a slightly endangered greeting. There is no threat of extinction yet - far from it - but a weather eye should be kept open. It is not that long since the French tourist board felt obliged to launch Operation Sourire, to persuade its people to be nice to foreign visitors. Another running sore with our visitors is our reluctance to come to grips with the litter problem. This infuriates tourists more than we can imagine because of our own tolerance of the blight. We have had a good year in tourism and can apparently expect another. But the industry is far from free of problems which, if not checked, could damage the present excellent record of growth.