uk ireland regions Top attraction: the pen for
hatever the final outcome of the difficult negotiations between the and E
over Brexit, Ireland has had to re-assess its international marketing and try to address its over-dependence on tourism from across the Irish ea. The Brexit strategy of Tourism Ireland could be summed up in one word diversify. That could be easier said than done, bearing in mind the proximity of the two countries, the many cultural and ethnic links between them, and the fact that ondon-ublin is the busiest air route in Europe. The consequences of any disruption to air travel due to Brexit, or any increase in prices due to a further fall in sterling against the euro, would be felt more keenly in Ireland than anywhere else. Tourism Ireland markets the whole island of Ireland the epublic, which celebrates the centenary of independence from Britain in 2022 and orthern Ireland, which remains part of the and outside the eurozone. The all-Ireland approach was part of the peace dividend that followed the ood riday greement of 199, which effectively brought an end to sectarian conflict between atholics and rotestants in orthern Ireland. The E’s push to avoid a hard border between the epublic and orthern Ireland has proved the most difficult aspect of Brexit
tourism and trade but potentially re-ignite
the violence. But whatever happens, the ommon Travel rea will remain, meaning no passports are required to travel between the and the Irish epublic.
Mitigation tactics iall ibbons, Tourism Ireland chief
executive, says ur message is very much business as usual’. Britain continues to be a very important market for tourism to the island of Ireland, delivering of all overseas visitors and around 2 of all overseas tourism revenue. Tourism Ireland believes that the adverse impact of Brexit can be mitigated through a combination of aggressive marketing and the continuation of existing successful wider policy initiatives. key element of our orporate lan 201-2019 is market diversification, focusing investment on the basis of market potential and continuing to maximise holiday revenue through investment in key source markets. The main areas of concern are the weakness of sterling, pushing up holiday costs for British visitors, and any disruption to air travel. rance, ermany and the are identified as key targets, plus emerging markets including the Middle East, India and hina. Market research provider Euromonitor
International estimates the difference between a hard Brexit and a soft
Tourism Ireland’s Niall Gibbons
Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
business W
negotiations, as this would not only be bad for
Ireland will be looking further overseas to attract visitors in the post-Brexit era, writes Dave Richardson
Research consultant Wouter Geerts
Brexit for Irish tourism is as much as 120 million, with a favourable outcome increasing receipts from British visitors by about ., with a similar decrease if no deal is reached. Wouter eerts, Euromonitor research consultant, says potential hard border’ if the leaves the E with no agreement surrounding orthern Ireland may have a negative impact on the perception of how easy it is to cross seamlessly between the two countries. It is likely to hamper visits to orthern Ireland from visitors who have the epublic of Ireland as their primary destination. Ireland will need to find ways of maintaining reasonable levels of visitation and receipts, by investing in marketing and finding ways for travellers to find value for money. e adds that efforts to change visitor demographics are already apparent. There is a shift to seeking higher- spending visitors that spend longer in the destination, so volume is no longer such a major concern. ince 2011 the authorities have recognised Ireland’s dependence on the as a source market and put in place a strategy to diversify. owever, he warns of the impact of any impasse in the negotiations.
With the depreciation of the pound expected in the case of a no-deal Brexit, the impact on arrivals to Ireland would be strongly felt.
Tourism Ireland has to overcome perception that
borders are returning
wtm.com
winter 201 wtm insights 9
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