Speech by Minister Martin at Embassy of Ireland Event, London

Check against delivery

Go raibh maith agat, a Ambasadóir.

Tá an-áthas orm a bheith in bhur dteannta i Londain anocht agus an deis a fháil buíochas a ghabháil libh as bhur gcuid oibre crua i Margadh Taistil an Domhain.

The work you do is vital for the future success of tourism to Ireland from across the world and, particularly, for our continuing relationship with our British visitors. It was my pleasure to visit the Tourism Ireland stand today and see at first-hand all the great work you do.

As we all know, tourism is – and will continue to be – an incredibly important industry for Ireland, an industry that sustains our communities and drives development in our regions.

We welcomed 11.3 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland in 2019, surpassing all previous records and these visitors supported approximately 325,000 jobs in community’s right across the island.

There is no doubt that the last two years have proven to be extremely difficult for all involved in tourism but I must complement everyone in this room tonight for their extraordinary resilience and hard work, during the dark days of the pandemic.

The collaboration between industry, Tourism Agencies and Government, was instrumental to putting in place the support structures that enabled tourism enterprises to survive and recover.

As we emerge from the pandemic, I am very much aware that all of you working in the tourism industry now have other challenges to deal with, such as: accommodation capacity issues, labour shortfalls, currency fluctuations and the rising cost of doing business.

However, you can be assured of my commitment and support, and that of the Tourism Ireland team, as we work to restore and rebuild our tourism business from here in Britain and elsewhere around the world.

In Budget 2023, I was pleased to secure €15 million in additional funding for overseas marketing, some of which will be used to develop a new global marketing initiative aimed at aiding recovery in the sector. This new initiative will seek to promote and build on the warmth of our welcome, the beauty of our landscape and the richness of our culture.

I am conscious we will be facing strong international competition over the next couple of years and I hope this initiative will help maintain our remarkable recovery, and will also provide a stand out for Ireland in a very competitive marketplace as we seek to reconnect with the diaspora overseas.

It is my intention to bring a proposal to Government in the near future outlining my full ambition for this project and providing further detail on the work underway.

I have no doubt that this exciting project will provide strong reconnections with diaspora groups and indeed with the culturally curious and the wider “affinity diaspora”.

As well as investment in international marketing, we continue to invest in developing exciting, world-class tourism experiences right around Ireland. Beyond The Trees is a new visitor attraction in Co Wicklow, which includes an elevated treetop walk and a 12-storey high viewing tower; this attraction has been developed very much with sustainability and accessibility at its core.

I was delighted to recently open our new National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park House and Gardens in Co Roscommon, which has had an investment of €5 million.

And, in Co Kerry, a new visitor experience opened this summer at the Blasket Centre in Dún Chaoin, on the western edge of the Dingle Peninsula.

These are just a few examples of the ongoing investment and my continued commitment to fund stand-out attractions and experiences right around Ireland.

As we look to the year ahead, the latest round of Tourism Ireland research gives us cause for optimism. The research, carried out here in Britain and in nine other important tourism markets, shows that the desire to travel is stronger than ever.

It also shows that seven out of 10 people who want to travel in 2023 are still in the planning stages – so, there is still a really good opportunity to influence their choice of destination.

I am really pleased that The Open will return to Royal Portrush in 2025; and the Ryder Cup will take place in Adare Manor, in Co Limerick, in 2027. Two of the world’s greatest sporting fixtures, which will undoubtedly give us unparalleled global media coverage.

Securing additional long-term funding of €3 million for the hosting of the American College Football Classic every August out to 2026 was vitally important. And we look forward to the return of Notre Dame and Navy, a truly iconic fixture in the American Football Calendar.

And, just last month I was delighted to announce – with Minister Gordon Lyons in Northern Ireland – our intention for a joint North-South bid to host the opening stages of a future Tour de France, ideally in either 2026 or 2027.

Hosting Le Grand Départ would be a fantastic opportunity for Ireland to feature on the world stage. Our shared experience in hosting major sports events, our cooperative approach in marketing the entire island of Ireland as a tourism destination, and the wonderful scenery and céad míle fáilte that awaits visitors to Ireland could all combine to create an amazing all-island event.

This year was all about the RESTART of overseas tourism. In 2023, we will enter the REBUILD phase. As we enter that phase, I am committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of the sector, supporting it to recover and grow, making an impact on cities, towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. I know that Ireland can be a leader in sustainable tourism and I am eager to play my part in making that happen.

And in this regard, the development of a new National Tourism Policy has begun. This new policy will involve extensive consultation with the tourism industry and our communities, to help set out a path for the coming years which will support a sustainable recovery and subsequent growth in the sector.

I would strongly urge you all to engage in the consultation process, as we seek to support sustainable economic development in communities throughout the country, whilst protecting our environment and natural resources, and with a greater spread of demand across the year.

I look forward to working with you in developing this new policy which will enable us to further develop our tourism offering and further enhance our reputation as a world-class destination.

After a very challenging few years for travel and tourism, our message here in Britain, and elsewhere around the world, is that we are open for business and there has never been a better time to visit.

Thank you Ambassador Fraser, and Deirdre, for your generous hospitality in hosting us this evening. It is such a pleasure to be here.

I must commend Niall, Judith and the Tourism Ireland team, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, as well as our tourism partners, for their concerted efforts to keep the island of Ireland high on the wish-lists of holidaymakers worldwide.

Mar fhocal scoir, thar ceann Rialtas na hEireann, gabhaim buíochas libh as bhur dtacaíocht leanúnach. Taim ag súil lena bheith ag obair go dlúth libh arís in 2023 agus le bliain rathúil do thurasóireacht na hÉireann.

Go raibh maith agaibh.