FF aims to attract 8m visitors to Ireland
Fianna Fáil today unveiled its tourism policy saying it wants to increase visitor numbers to Ireland to 8 million by 2015, a move that has the potential to create 15,000 jobs in the sector.
"We recognise that the tourism industry is a labour-intensive sector that will provide job opportunities and foreign revenue earnings as the economy recovers," party leader Micheál Martin said.
"Our priority now is to continue to invest, upgrade and promote the tourism sector in order to take advantage of recovery."
Mr Martin said visitor numbers would be boosted by a number of measures including:
- Competitive airport and port charges;
- Competitive and tourist-friendly immigration and visa arrangements;
- Cooperative marketing support programmes with air and sea carriers;
- Innovative marketing campaigns and programmes and greater use of e-marketing;
- Helping tourism businesses to reduce their cost bases and access credit;
- Positioning Ireland as an important cultural and heritage tourism destination;
- Greater North/South tourism cooperation.
Fianna Fáil said it also wants to extend the Section 481 film investment relief to 2016 - in a bid to attract film makers to Ireland.
Speaking on the campaign trail in Ballina today Mr Martin couldn't put an exact cost on extending the grant, but said it's of huge importance to our economy.
He also rejected suggestions that last night's TV3 debate was more of a slagging match than a debate about policies.
Mr Martin said he believes last night's debate was "constructive".
