THE director-general of Bord Failte is confident that the target set 10 years ago of a three-fold increase in tourism by 1999 will be attained.
Mr Matt McNulty said that based on the figures so far this year, the target for 1997 of a nine per cent growth in revenue was also likely to be achieved.
Targets have been met every year since 1987. This has resulted in an increase in employment in the industry from 60,000 to 108,000, which was projected to increase further to 135,000 by 1999, he said.
Mr Noel Toolan, the board's international marketing director, said initial figures showed that tourism was up by 10 per cent in the first three months of this year. This period usually accounts for 5 per cent of the total. This evidence, combined with the results of interviews with carriers, tour operators and others in related businesses, indicated that the total increase for the year would be seven per cent in visitors and nine per cent in revenue.
This suggested an increase of four per cent in the European market (leading to a six per cent increase in revenue) and an eight per cent increase in the British, US and "rest of world" markets (leading to a 10 per cent increase in revenue).
Asked why growth was slower in Europe than elsewhere, he said that the economies in the two largest markets, Germany and France, were going through a tough patch. The German mark had lost value relative to the Irish pound, which meant that, even if prices were held static, German tourists would see an increase of IS per cent on last year's prices in Ireland.
As a result, the targets set for Europe had been quite modest, following a period of unprecedented growth. Nonetheless, growth was strong in Europe as a whole, and Bord Failte was targeting new markets there to spread the risk, especially from currency fluctuation.
Asked why certain sections of the industry had been claiming a drop in bookings, despite the projected increases, Mr Toolan said that some people in the industry were experiencing growth above the average, and some below.
Mr McNulty said he doubted some of the figures being reported for cancellations, and questioned whether the bookings had been as firm as the operators thought. "We'd like them to share their information with us," he said.
Asked about reactions to the new Bord Failte logo, Mr Toolan stressed that the "old" logo was still there on its publications and on the badges of its personnel.
A new one had been added as "a new identity around the tourism product of Ireland". Research was being carried out to see whether it was having an impact, he said, and it was too early to say.