Tourism Ireland aims to increase revenue from overseas tourism by an average of 5.6pc per year until 2030, CEO Alice Mansergh told a gathering of 550 travel industry professionals attending the body’s marketing launch in the Clayton Burlington Hotel.
The organisation plans to support the economies of communities across the island by growing revenue to regions outside of the peak season by an average of 6.5pc per year until 2030.
In 2024, Tourism Ireland will implement an extensive and targeted marketing program with a budget of €70m.
The organisation said it believes that 2024 presents significant opportunities for overseas tourism, with a focus on off-season events and appealing to high-value tourists who value memorable experiences and travel across regions and seasons.
The tourism industry in Ireland is a significant contributor to the economy, generating an estimated €6bn in annual revenue and supporting 300,000 jobs.
The marketing strategy will focus on stimulating demand in regions and seasons with the most potential for growth, supporting rural entrepreneurialism and areas with limited other industries.
Tourism Ireland emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong reputation for safety and promoting the country’s outstanding scenery, heritage, history, and warm culture to attract visitors.
Capacity, including accommodation constraints and rising prices, pose challenges to growth, but Tourism Ireland sees an opportunity in increasing tourism outside of the peak seasons and promoting iconic moments like Halloween and Springtime.
To address the issue of visitors primarily staying in Dublin, Tourism Ireland plans to engage with potential tourists during the research phase by promoting not only well-known attractions but also lesser-known hidden gems to encourage longer stays in various regions.
In response to a question about accommodation shortages, Tourism Ireland CEO Alice Mansergh told RTE Morning Ireland “if you look at hotels currently in tourism they’re at 88pc room occupancy in the summer months but only 73pc room occupancy across the island or fullness if you will from October through to May and so that 15 percentage point gap is worth hundreds of millions to our economy and you’ll see tourism Ireland marketing really iconic reasons to visit the island outside of the peak seasons and regions.”
