The newly-appointed Chair of the tourism representative body the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) has urged the Government to invest in Tourism to fully realise its potential.
Speaking at the ITIC’s AGM, Paul Gallagher (pictured) noted the success Irish tourism had in 2014, growing closer to 2007 levels of 7.7 millions visits.
Gallagher said that there will be "significant differences in the make-up of our visitors this year compared to 2007," as North America, which overtook Britain in terms of income, becomes a bigger source of revenue for the country. This trend, he added, is likely to continue in 2015.
Gallagher also said while Irish tourism was in a good place, there was no room for complacency. He urged the Government to recognize the benefits that tourism gives, especially in employment, and to fully invest in the new Tourism Policy.
“Ten million visitors spending €5 billion annually by 2025 is all very well and good but it won’t happen unless the correct strategy is quickly developed. It is probable now that we are nearer to the start of the next recession than we are to the start of the last, so there is no time to be lost.
"A total programme of €250 million would be small change when compared to the Government’s commitments to agriculture, food and FDI, and the payback in jobs would be fast and substantial," he concluded.
