The tourist and hospitality industry has suffered grievously from the effects of foot and mouth disease. While all reasonable precautions must be maintained in order to keep the dreaded plague at bay, the gradual relaxation of closures and restrictions is welcome in providing some relief for hard-pressed businesses. It has been estimated by the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, that losses in excess of £200m have already been suffered by the industry, not allowing for the impact on air and sea carriers. But, should the countryside be closed until August because of further outbreaks of the disease, losses could treble or even quadruple.
Tourism is Ireland's second largest industry, not far behind agriculture in economic importance. It employs more than 150,000 people, one in twelve of the workforce and makes a critical contribution to regional and rural development. Already, thousands of workers have been laid off and many businesses are struggling to survive. Coming on top of a rapidly cooling economy, the situation is grave. In financial terms, tourism has suffered much more than agriculture.
It is important, in simple equity, that those sacrifices should be recognised and that decision-making should not be driven solely by the Department of Agriculture. If the tourist industry is to recover quickly, clear and unambiguous holiday information should be available to people at home and to wouldbe foreign tourists. In the past, Bord Failte announcements that the country was open for business carried no weight when, at the same time, the Department of Agriculture placed advertisements in the British press asking people to stay away.
That may be changing. In recent days, the Government has instructed its agencies and Departments not to cancel any further conferences, seminars or training programmes in urban areas. Many national monuments and State cultural and heritage attractions have been reopened. Sea fishing and forms of angling that do not involve access to farmland are permitted. And Dr McDaid has appealed to the tourism industry to put together a range of short-break packages to encourage domestic holidays. This weekend, a £3m marketing and promotion programme will be launched in the United States, Britain and Europe to encourage visitors to come here.
The critical date is April 19th. If the country remains free of another outbreak of foot and mouth disease until then, according to the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, there will be a full relaxation of closures and restrictions. If that happens, the tourist sector should not be expected to bear the continuing pain of closed river banks, countryside and mountains, while agriculture operates normally. Disinfection measures can be rigorously applied while the virus remains active in Britain and in other EU countries. People from farms in infected areas must stay away. But the Government owes it to the tourist industry to carefully balance economic and social considerations in fighting this disease.
Plans are already in train to reschedule St Patrick's Day celebrations as an unmistakable signal that Ireland is open for business. If luck holds and there is no further outbreak of disease, celebrations and street parades may be brought forward to May 18th. Later this month, President McAleese will promote Irish tourism during a visit to the United States. As the threat of foot and mouth recedes, the Government - and the farming community - should recognise the contribution made in fighting the disease by this industry.