China could soon be this State's greatest competitor for tourism, members heard. Advice to this effect had come from the head of the World Travel and Tourism Council, the Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, told the House. Although projected tourism growth for this State was good, we could not afford to be complacent, he said. We had to contend with huge competition, and overseas visitors were becoming more discerning.
Dr McDaid was introducing a Bill, which was passed by the House, to raise from £22 million to £50 million the level of Bord Failte funding for non-accommodation tourism capital development works.
The Minister said it was important that with the advent of the euro, we must not allow a perception to develop, especially abroad, that Ireland might be on the way to becoming a high-priced holiday destination for foreign tourists. ailte have any direct control, I will continue to use every opportunity to impress upon the industry that competitive and fairly-priced products must be offered to all our visitors."
Based on Bord Failte and industry growth projections for early in the next century the number of visitors coming to our shores was set to rise to over seven million by 2003, he said.
Mr Feargal Quinn emphasised the need to guard against our current success making us cocky. Tourism could suddenly run into trouble in an entire global region when economics in that sphere ran into turmoil, as had happened in South East Asia and Australasia recently. We should realise that that could happen to us also, because tourist spending was discretionary.
The economic outlook for Europe and the US in the next few years was anything but certain.