New infrastructure crucial to tourism growth - report

The State needs a new national stadium, a national convention centre and a second airport terminal to meet the future demands of tourism, Fáilte Ireland has claimed.

Mr Shaun Quinn, the organisation's chief executive, said: "Without these, the picture for 2006 and beyond looks stagnant, at best, and the momentum of recent years will not be sustained".

Speaking today at the launch of Fáilte Ireland's end-of- year review and outlook for 2004, Mr Quinn said the "urgent delivery" of these three projects was required if growth in the industry was to be maintained.

The review shows that over six million people visited Ireland last year, up four per cent on 2002. They spent €5.2 billion between them.

As a destination Ireland has outperformed Britain which had a two per cent increase in visitor numbers, Spain which registered no change and France which saw tourist numbers fall eight per cent.

Fáilte Ireland chairwoman, Ms Gillian Bowler, said: "This is the acid test of a country's competitiveness - increasing our share of market proves the attractiveness of our offering to overseas and domestic holidaymakers".

The review highlighted the importance of the domestic market in underpinning the industry's performance. Nearly three in every four hotel bookings outside Dublin were generated by the Irish market.

"The domestic market is our largest single market and is no longer the 'poor relation' in the eyes of operators. A focus by businesses on developing this market will pay dividends in 2004," Ms Bowler said.

According to the organisation's business and employment survey for 2003, only four per cent of accommodation providers in Ireland said they were concerned about the ban on smoking in the workplace.

Fáilte Ireland claimed another of its studies found two-thirds of visitors to Ireland were supportive of the impending of the smoking ban.