Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell has said the fact that roughly 8,000 new jobs could be created in the tourism industry in 2015 is positive news for Dublin Fingal.
“Tourism is vital to the local economy of Dublin Fingal and 2014 has been an exceptional year for the industry with roughly 5,000 jobs having been created and tourism numbers returning to pre-recession levels. The fact that 2015 is set to be an even more successful year for the industry is fantastic news.
“Fáilte Ireland have stated that half of the businesses, which the organisation works closely with, have increased employment levels in 2014 and 46% of these businesses expect to further increase the size of their workforce in 2015. On the basis of current trends Fáilte Ireland believe that another 8,000 jobs could be created in the tourism sector over the course of 2015.
“It is certainly possible to further increase the number of overseas visitors coming to Ireland, and by doing so, increase the amount of money being spent in our local economy which will provide support to SMEs throughout Dublin Fingal. The North County is in a prime position to benefit from any increase in tourism, particularly with the creation of a single brand for Dublin which will be bolstered by a focussed marketing campaign. In addition to this, Fáilte Ireland also intends to actively work to attract lucrative conferences, major sporting events, and other large-scale events to Ireland over the course of the next year.
“I am pleased that 2015 is expected to exceed the successes the tourism industry experienced in 2014. The Government’s decision to retain the 9% VAT rate for the tourism sector and to utilise the sector as a catalyst of economic growth has reaped rewards for communities in Dublin Fingal and throughout the country. On the basis of the estimations for next year, all towns in the North County should feel the positive impact of an even more successful year for Irish tourism.”