tourIsm Winter funding for Irish tourism


Ireland’s tourism industry has been handed EUR9m (£7.8m) worth of funding to help drive a winter marketing campaign, which will reach a global audi- ence of ‘at least’ 20 million. In addition to Tourism


Ireland funding supported by air travel tax revenues, matched funding will be provided by partners such as Ryanair and Stena Line. Irish minister for trans-


port, tourism and sport Leo Varadkar said the latest funding builds on the govern- ment’s Jobs Initiative and will help deliver more visitors by the end of 2011. Varadkar said: “Ireland’s tourism industry is


Partners including Stena Line and Ryanair will provide match funding


now showing signs of recovery, with overseas visitor numbers rising by almost 12 per cent in the first seven months of this year.” The funding announcement came after Varadkar had announced plans for The


Gathering, which is to be Ireland’s largest ever tourism initiative and has the potential to attract 325,000 extra visitors. It will comprise a series of flagship festivals


held throughout the year, showcasing the best of Irish arts, sports and food, while helping to create further spin-off events.


New online tool for pubs to improve accessibility


VisitEngland, working in partnership with the British Beer and Pub Association, has unveiled a new online tool to help businesses cater for visitors with access needs. Pubs will be encouraged to write a “gen- eral introduction” that outlines its location and


to provide information about specific services and facilities suitable, such as car parking; bar and dining areas; and beer gardens. Once an Access Statement has been pre-


pared by businesses, it can be made available online to visitors with access requirements.


Scots reap benefits of tourism campaign


Scotland’s economy has ben- efited from an extra £89.9m since the March launch of the Surprise Yourself campaign, according to VisitScotland. The £3.5m scheme was


unveiled with online and television advertising and includes a range of money- saving vouchers and focuses on the “surprising twists” of Scottish locations. VisitScotland revealed the


economic impact of the cam- paign at the convention of Highlands and Islands and comes as figures revealed an increase in domestic visitors to Scotland. Meanwhile, the agency has also entered into


Te campaign focuses on the “surprisng twists” of locations in Scotland VisitScotland chair Mike Cantlay said: “Te


a partnership with National Museums Scotland as part of Surprise Yourself, which has been running since the end of August.


© CYBERTREK 2011


staycation trend is far from over and we hope that the campaign will continue to inspire potential visitors and locals alike to explore the fantastic things to see and do in Scotland.”


Twitter: @leisureopps


Celebrating English Tourism Week 2012


kurt janson is policy director of Tourism Alliance


T


he first English Tourism Week will be held between 10 and 18 March next year. It’s fitting that this will be held at the beginning


of a year where we are celebrating both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games and provides us with an unprecedented oppor- tunity to recognise and fully appreciate the size and scale of the UK tourism industry and the role it plays in the economy. And there is plenty to celebrate. While


there are concerns as to the state of the economy and whether we are entering a “double dip” recession, the tourism industry is showing an amazing degree of resilience with inbound tourism expenditure tracking at 4 per cent more than 2010. Even more impressively, domestic tourism expenditure is tracking at 10 per cent more than 2010. In real terms what this means is that, if


these trends hold to the end of the year, the tourism sector will grow by £2.7bn. Incredible as this sounds, if the industry grows by £2.7bn, this will mean that it has generated more than 50,000 new jobs. Tese are growth figures other industries


would die for, and we should be shouting them from the rooſtops. Te issue is that the tourism sector is very diverse and dis- parate, with more than 80 per cent of the estimated 200,000 businesses in the sector being SMEs spread all over the UK. Tis means that rather than having a few large, easily identifiable factories employing thou- sands of new workers, tourism has many thousands of small firms that have taken on one new person or a part-timer because they have seen business pick up. Tis makes it hard for the average person, or politician, to see the collective increase in revenue and employment in the tourism sector. And this is why we need English Tourism


Week. To highlight this successful indus- try and to get the government to see that, if they want growth and employment, this is where they need to invest resources. Not only are the opportunities boundless, but the benefits that derive from tourism accrue to all communities across the country.


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 17


image: hans-peter bock


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