THE TOURISM SECTOR is set to recover in 2011 according to an annual review by the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC).
Last year, the sector was devastated by a massive fallback in visitors to the country. In 2010, one million people fewer chose to travel to the country, most notably visitors from the UK.
The Irish Times quotes ITIC chairman Tom Haughey who said that despite the severity of the recent downturn, tourism was still big business in Ireland. Haughey pointed out that the sector had generated €4.5 billion and supported almost to 200,000 jobs in spite of the reduction in visitors.
The ITIC said that better value for money would be the driving force behind the sector’s recovery. The group also praised the decision to cut the controversial tax from €10 to €3, as well as growth incentives by the Dublin Airport Authority.
Haughey warned that the sector’s recovery would depend on foreign tourists, as domestic tourism was expected to be very weak over the next number of years.
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