Less developed tourism areas to receive €130m over next five years

The State will spend €130 million (£102 million) developing tourism projects over the next five years under the National Development Plan. The scheme, announced yesterday by the Minister for Tourism, Sport Recreation, Dr McDaid, will be delivered via the regional operational programmes for less developed tourism areas in the Border, Midlands, West and the South and East regions. It will be implemented and operated by Bord Fáilte.

Among the measures identified for funding under the scheme are the development of up to 11 major new day-visitor amenities, each capable of attracting more than 100,000 visitors a year, and the upgrading and improved packaging of a further 11 identified geographically coherent and financially sustainable clusters of existing attractions.

"We already have quite a few fee-paying, day-visitor attractions in Ireland. Unfortunately, many of them are not realising their full potential. Our conclusion is that certain attractions can be presented as part of a coherent, marketable cluster to the greater benefit of the region in which they are located," said Dr McDaid.

Other measures include the development of special pursuits including cycling, walking, horse-riding, great gardens, outdoor activities, water-based activities, health tourism, and the promotion of better management of the relationship between tourism and the environment.

Two complementary measures - tourism and recreational angling, and marine tourism - will be implemented by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.

Regionality and seasonality continue to be major challenges for Irish tourism, and the launch of the scheme marked a new departure for the targeted regions, said Mr Niall Reddy, acting chief executive of Bord Fáilte.

"To create a tourism industry that is truly successful, we must carefully target our investment, so that we can give people reasons to visit those parts of Ireland that heretofore might not have been considered in the tourism top 10. This scheme will help spread the significant economic benefits of tourism more equitably throughout the country," he said.

The scheme will encourage a more sustainable pattern of tourism development, both economically and environmentally, Dr McDaid said.

"There will be strong emphasis on encouraging the relationship between tourism and the environment," he said.

"The relationship between proposed projects and their infrastructure requirements is something to which close attention will be paid in the assessment process."