W2E-010 Diverse editorials-2.txt
COMMENT

Opportunities

In a week in which our hotels and guest houses are full with visitors it is difficult to think that our tourism industry, both locally and at national level, is suffering. It is difficult when there are thousands thronging our streets to believe that, as our front page states today, these are tough times for the city's hoteliers.

But these few weeks are the only weeks when the 'no vacancies' signs go up in Galway. When our hotels are suffering it is safe to assume that our entire tourism industry and all that depends on it is also, in turn, in a barren period.

A recession which still continues to affect our most important markets is a substantial reason for the decline in our tourism market but it is certainly not the only one.

As Alan Moody, local chairman of the Irish Hotels'Federation (IHF) points out in today's Observer, huge amounts of money have been invested in the hotel industry locally in recent years. Galway has seen a massive increase in the number of 'beds' available over the last few years. An estimated 350 new beds have come on stream due to new hotels and extensions to existing ones not to mention the practical eruption of new guest houses all over the city and its outskirts.

Mr. Moody points out that the marketing budget for Bord Failte has been cut in real terms in recent years and that unless there is a substantial increase in that budget we cannot expect an improvement on this region's or this country's tourism figures.

Why, for example, do we rarely if ever see Japanese tourists on the streets of Galway? Here is a truly massive market that is being practically ignored by this country because Bord Failte cannot afford to market there. The streets of London and almost every major European city are thronged annually by Japanese visitors, yet Ireland remains, no doubt, a complete mystery to the potential Japanese tourist.

This is but one example of the lack of foresight and confidence which is depriving this country of potential lucrative business. Tourism is our second most important industry. Let us hope that the calls of Alan Moody and his colleagues will be heeded.
