Fáilte Ireland: US tourists may be put off by feeling ‘less welcome’ in Europe
Ken Foxe
Fáilte Ireland has warned that uncertainty over Dublin Airport’s passenger cap, value-for-money, and US citizens feeling “less welcome” in Europe were key risks for tourism here.
Their corporate risk register said the lack of certainty over numbers allowed to pass through the country’s main airport meant encouraging Irish tourists to holiday at home was doubly important.
It would not only boost tourism here but would also “somewhat reduce the domestic pressure on the airport".
The risk register outlined how they should work with the DAA to get a “speedy resolution” on the cap and in the meantime also encourage airlines to use regional airports.
Fáilte Ireland also feared a decline in travel to Ireland as a result of changes to perceptions over whether we were a “value-for-money destination".
It emphasised they needed to work with industry to encourage better deals and help with shortages of skills and labour.
The risk register said: “We are rolling out a commercial resilience framework to support businesses to manage these challenges, remain commercially resilient and competitive.”
The passenger cap and value-for-money were two of nine risks considered to be in the medium to high range by Fáilte Ireland.
One of them highlighted “emerging economic factors” in the United States that could be challenging for Ireland.
This included exchange rates, ongoing uncertainty and how the “perception of being less welcome in Europe may lead to a reduction in US visitors.”
The tourism promotion agency also warned proposed laws on short-term lettings had the potential to damage their reputation.
It said the law could create a lot of admin work for industry and that Fáilte Ireland might not have the powers to enforce compliance.
The register added there was a risk they would not be provided with the necessary resources to do what was expected of them.
It stressed they would need to work closely with government and advocate for the importance of tourism when it came to planning.
The document said: “[We should] advocate for Department of Housing to provide clarity on new legislation and detailed guidelines to be published and the needs of the tourism sector to be balanced with the requirement for long term housing.”
Another risk noted was the potential failure of the tourism sector to drive sustainability to meet government climate goals.
Others included global geopolitical instability, funding for just transition projects, and inflation making businesses less viable.
Asked about the document, a spokeswoman said that the register was designed to list potential future risks as scenarios so that they could be planned for.
She explained: “[It] enables Fáilte Ireland to monitor issues and topics that may influence its work or impact the wider tourism sector.
“It provides a structured framework for assessing and managing these potential scenarios, allowing the organisation to respond appropriately as required, or develop strategies that help mitigate the impact of a particular risk.”
