Tourism's future, looking around the corner

Fáilte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn, today stressed that as Ireland grapples with the enormity of the current economic climate and plots its way to becoming a smarter economy, it is imperative that it does not neglect sectors such as tourism which have delivered time and time again.

Mr Quinn was speaking at Fáilte Ireland’s National Tourism Conference which was held today at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham. This year’s conference takes place during a very challenging year for the tourism industry in Ireland.  Tourism businesses are feeling the pressure due to the global downturn, a drop in consumer confidence and adverse currency exchanges. All of these factors have impacted on visitor numbers and, particularly, revenue.

However, Mr Quinn pointed out that there may be some reasons to be optimistic, saying:

“Thankfully, the news from the tourism marketplace is now slightly more positive than a few months ago. So far this year, Fáilte Ireland has hosted over 500 international trade buyers from 23 countries to tie down business with Irish tourism operators for next year and beyond.

From these meetings we can detect that interest is Ireland is as strong as ever, our competitive position is improving and there are definitely signs of those elusive green shoots, particularly in North America. This is welcome news for the 18,000 tourism businesses across Ireland and the 200,000 plus people they collectively employ.”

Irish tourism has benefitted enormously over the years from sustained Government investment in marketing, capital investment and training. Mr Quinn stressed that it is important that Ireland continues that focus, adding:

“We should avoid the mistake of pulling investment in a downturn and recognise the potential for tourism to bounce back quicker than most other sectors when conditions improve. In hard cash terms, the Exchequer returns generated by tourism – in excess of €1.5 billion – are not to be sneezed at”.

For today’s conference, Fáilte Ireland gathered a panel of experts including one of the world’s top Trend Spotters, one of Ireland’s leading Economists, a world class Futurologist, a BBC Travel Presenter, one of the UK’s top Aviation Experts and the Foreign Editor of the Irish Times to discuss the future for tourism. 

(See note below for a list of speaker and bios)

The conference addressed questions such as:

• Why we travel – will we in the future?
• Consumer confidence – will it come back?
• What is Irishness?
• What will tomorrow’s tourist look like?
• Where is the global economy going and what will it mean for tourism?
• What is the future looking like for the airlines, access and aviation? 

Amongst the presenters today was Chris Tarry from CTAIRA who observed that the demand for air travel will recover although the industry will emerge from the downturn in a different size and shape, adding that it was still likely to get more difficult for most airlines before it gets any easier.

Looking at the global economy, Dan O’Brien from the Economist Intelligence Unit warned that in his opinion the world economy is starting to grow again but the recovery will be slow and the risk of a second dip is considerable. He noted that the economies of Germany and France were well balanced or bouncing back strongly but that in Ireland’s two key tourism markets overseas, Britain and the U.S, households were highly indebted and their banking sectors were badly damaged. 

Ann Mack, Director of Trendspotting at JWT in New York, looked at the current global trends and what they may mean for the future of Irish tourism. She pointed out that Irish people should be encouraged to rediscover Ireland or discover it for the first time. She also stressed the importance of ensuring people get more out of their holiday – not just in a monetary sense, but in terms of a life-enriching experience that goes above and beyond the typical trip.  

Thalia Pellegrini, BBC Travel Presenter noted that at the recent World Travel Market in London, the mood was noticeably, lighter and, anecdotally, the gloom seems to be lifting a little, with much talk of green shoots of recovery amongst the stands. She stressed travel may have been curtailed but hasn’t halted – though consumers have responded to the recession by, generally, shunning luxury and trading down. She pointed out that although people are cutting back on some things, they still want their holiday.

The conference was also addressed by Ian Yeoman, Professor of Tourism Futures at Victoria University. Based upon his work as a scenario planner and futurologist and on his most recent book “Tomorrow’s Tourist”, Dr Yeoman stressed that tomorrow’s tourist would be seeking simplicity and authenticity and a holiday experience that was in tune with their own self identity. 

Time and time again when visitors to this country are asked about how satisfied they were with their experience, more that nine out of ten cite a positive experience with the friendliness of the Irish people as the basis for this satisfaction.  Given the centrality of perceptions of Irish people to tourism, Denis Staunton, Foreign Editor of the Irish Times, addressed the whole topic of ‘Irishness’ questioning whether the notion of Irishness was a fixed absolute or a shifting perception.     

Opening the conference earlier in the day, Redmond O’Donoghue, Chairman of Fáilte Ireland explained that it was a opportunity to try and peer around the corner, or look over the wall, and get a glimpse of what may lie ahead for Irish tourism. 

“During the first ten years of the 21st Century, tourism proved time and time again to be a resilient industry. The current climate is probably the most serious it has faced in decades. 

However, I believe that tourism will once more prove resilient and trade its way through the current difficulties. In fact, I believe that many tourism operators could teach businesses in the wider economy a lesson or two in survival.  Whatever the future may hold, tourism is here to stay and hopefully in the near future increasing numbers of visitors will also be here to stay once more.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Alex Connolly
Head of Communications – 086 7966320/01 8847884

Louise Tolerton 
PR Officer - 086 6086578/01 8847135

Photographs and copies of presentations are available on request.

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