Irish tourism can double revenue to €8 billion by 2030, creating 300,000 jobs in the process.
This is the view of Failte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn, who was speaking yesterday at the Irish Hotels Federation Conference in Killarney.
“You can ebb and flow with the vagaries of the market taking the good with the bad. Alternatively you can try to shape our future, taking the best insights to hand and plotting a course for sustained growth," said Quinn.
"With no major external shocks, and on current trends, by 2030, I would suggest that it is feasible to double our current revenues from €4 billion to €8 billion. If we did manage to grow along these lines then employment in the industry would be expected to increase from 200,000 to 300,000 over the period, with arguably more sustainable jobs”.
By 2030, Failte Ireland expects that two billion people will engage in international travel.
Mr Quinn has emphasised that Failte Ireland's strategy - to develop and grow experience brands of scale such as the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East - is appropriate given the direction in which consumer preferences appear to be shifting.
“We can achieve great growth but only as long as we accept that the overseas traveller is changing and we understand how to capture the interest and curiosity of discerning new market segments” added Quinn.
