LEADING Northern Ireland hotelier Dr Billy Hastings has called for a new vision for the Irish tourism industry which would make it a priority to attract high spending visitors.

Dr Hastings said that tourism had the capacity to create up to 45,000 jobs over the next three years, but that this could only be achieved by concentrating on "value added" business, bringing in more wealthy golfing visitors and fewer backpackers.

He said that counting heads was not an acceptable way of measuring Performance. "Back packers may return in a decade or two with their 2.4 children," he said, "but they make very little contribution to today's industry. Wealthy golfers spending a thousand dollars in a weekend are here today, and their contribution runs into millions."

Dr Hastings called for closer liaison between the IDA, the IDB and the two tourist boards in selling Ireland as one destination.