The current difficulties in the tourism industry are likely to continue in the short term, delegates attending the CERT Tourism Business Forum were told today.
The industry also needs to improve in competitiveness if it is to sustain long-term growth, according to Mr Paul Tansey of Tansey Webster Stewart, who spoke at today’s forum.
A number of research papers commissioned by CERT on the tourism business were presented at the forum, which was opened by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
These included a CERT report entitled People in Tourism, which stressed that the factors that helped the tourism industry to develop over the past ten years are unlikely to be enough to sustain competitive advantage over the current downturn.
A survey commissioned by CERT also revealed the tourism industry needs to guard against any decline in the friendliness of service - long a hallmark of the Irish tourism industry.
The forum took place in the Westin Dublin Hotel. Speakers included chief economist at Bank of Ireland Dr Dan McLoughlin, Dr Sheila Flanagan from DIT, Ms Annette Bolger of Drury Research and Mr Frank O’Donoghue of Melver Consulting.