Ireland is set to reach ambitious tourism targets set for 2012 due to increased air access, development of new overseas markets and fresh marketing strategies at home, it was claimed today.
A new progress report comes from a high-level implementation group that aims to double overseas revenue earnings to €6 billion and increase visitor numbers to 10 million annually were attainable.
The independent group was established by Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue in January 2004 to oversee progress on the ambitious targets set out in the report, New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action, published in September 2003.
The progress report covers the six-month period to the end of March 2005 and indicates that overall the implementation group is satisfied the strategy is being well advanced by the industry and government.
Mr O'Donoghue welcomed the group's conclusion that Ireland's tourism performance in 2004, with 6.6 million overseas visitors and €4.1 billion in foreign exchange earnings, was broadly consistent with the targets set.
But he also warned: "While recently released CSO statistics for 2004 reveal a healthy tourism sector overall, we all share concerns in relation to the performance of some sectors and markets last year.
"The trend towards shorter holidays and lower expenditure levels is depressing tourism revenue, in particular outside Dublin and other urban areas," he said.
PA
