Munster Express Online

Waterford’s hoteliers have called on all general election candidates to commit to decisive action in support of the tourism sector’s continued recovery.
Aidan Quirke, who chairs the Irish Hotel Federation’s (IHF) South East Branch said that, while tourism has made significant progress in recent years, continued growth cannot be taken for granted.
“We’re at the early stage of recovery following the downturn and challenges include the high cost of doing business in Ireland, particularly around Government controlled costs such as local authority rates, water and energy levies,” he said.
“Significant additional investment is also required to support tourism marketing and product development – areas where funding has been significantly reduced since 2008.
Speaking at the launch of the IHF’s national tourism policy document for the general election, titled ‘A Strategy for Job Creation and Economic Growth’, Mr Quirke said that tourism currently supports 5,400 jobs in Waterford and contributes some €100m to the local economy annually.
“While the sector has benefitted from a number of pro-tourism measures, such as the nine per cent tourism VAT rate, conditions within the industry remain challenging. A lot more needs to be done over the next five years before Irish tourism reaches its full potential for growth and job creation.”
He added: “Tourism represents an excellent investment for the country and it’s therefore vital that it remains at the heart of Ireland’s economic policy,” says Mr Quirke.
“We’re calling on local candidates in the general election to commit to a range of pro-tourism policies that bolster Ireland as a leading destination for overseas visitors and holidaymakers. With the right support, this would generate up to 40,000 additional new jobs in tourism businesses across the country, including a significant number here in Waterford.”
The IHF’s four point wish list for candidates is to see (1): Provisions made for greater cost competitiveness, (2): Restoring marketing funding to 2008 levels, with greater support for regional tourism. (3): Allocating additional funding for tourism product and infrastructure and (4): Investing in people, skills and training – including vocational and craft training.