Hanafin chairs new broad-based Tourism group to oversee measures to support tourism sector

Mary Hanafin T.D., Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, today (6 September 2010) chaired the inaugural meeting of the Tourism Renewal Implementation Group, held in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. This industry-wide group, established and chaired by Minister Hanafin has been tasked with driving recovery in Ireland’s tourism industry. This new group includes tourism agency officials, representatives of a range of interests within the tourist industry and Departmental officials.

Minister Hanafin said “the tourism and hospitality sector is a significant source of jobs throughout the country and is the single most important indigenous industry we have. It creates opportunities for people across a range of skills and backgrounds in urban and rural locations. The tourism sector has faced perhaps the greatest set of challenges in decades. This new Tourism Renewal Implementation Group will oversee measures to support tourism in Ireland to ensure that the sector is positioned for recovery and growth.”

Minister Hanafin continued "it is important that the Group can draw on the expertise and perspective across the tourism sector in both public and private sectors and I am pleased to have such high calibre individuals, with knowledge and expertise in tourism, transport, tour operation and accommodation participating to ensure the sector’s continued progress."

Building on the Renewal Group’s Framework for Action, Budget 2010 recognised the tourism sector as a critical sector and provided for a 3% increase to over €153 million in the overall tourism services budget for 2010.

"Our focus since the publication of the Report of the Tourism Renewal Group has been on driving progress on key measures in line with those set out in the Framework for Action for the ‘survival’ phase. I believe that, working together, the tourism industry, the tourism agencies and the wider public sector can continue to deliver an excellent experience and ensure that the tourism agenda is in all relevant policies now and into the future" said Minister Hanafin.

These included maintaining the real level of investment in overseas marketing, as well as a significantly increased capital allocation for tourism product. Tourism has also been included in cross-cutting measures to support enterprises and jobs, including the Employment Subsidy Scheme and the Credit Review System.

Specifically, the Tourism Renewal Implementation Group has been tasked with:

• driving continued progress on measures under the Survival and Recovery Actions (2010 – 2013) recommended by the Tourism Renewal Group and
• meeting those with a key role under the various actions recommended, to review progress;
• highlighting constraints to progress and identifying action to address them; and
• recommending any changes to the Framework for Action in response to changes in the external environment

The Group will publish regular progress reports on the websites of the Department and the tourism agencies.

Minister Hanafin said that additional specific measures, such as changes in VAT and the Golden Trekker rail travel initiative, are also helping the sector. Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland have built in Renewal Group recommendations to their Business and Marketing Plans for 2010 and officials are working with a range of other organisations to focus resources, to achieve common objectives and maximise the impact on tourism.

“The Government, the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the tourism agencies are working to assist the sector, to maximise business for Irish tourism and to ensure that the tourism agenda is in all relevant policies. I want to maximise engagement by the industry, and if necessary amend the Framework in the light of changes to the external environment.

The Tourism Renewal Implementation Group will provide the means to achieve all of these objectives" said Minister Hanafin.

Membership of the Tourism Renewal Implementation Group

• Eamonn McKeon - Chief Executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC)*;
• Tony Kelly- Director of Marketing, Irish Ferries
• Fiona O'Sullivan - President of the Irish Tour Operators Association and Director of Custom Ireland Travel and Event Specialists
• John Raftery – proprietor of the Downhill Inn Hotel, Ballina, Co Mayo, and chairman of the Irish Hotels Federation Marketing Committee,
• Ed Ronayne – hospitality businessman, Ronayne Catering Ltd,
• Shaun Quinn – Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland
• Niall Gibbons – Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland
• Paul Bates - Assistant Secretary, Tourism Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport