Tuesday, 3rd March 2009                                          

Irish Tourism Needs A Sharper Approach to Marketing
Showing ‘Great Value for Money’ Now Our Core Priority, say Hoteliers 

‘Great Value for Money’ must be the key marketing message underpinning Irish tourism in 2009, stated Matthew Ryan, President, Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) who today addressed delegates at the IHF’s 71st Annual Conference in Killarney. Mr Ryan says the excellent value on offer in Ireland should now be the central theme for all promotional activities both at home and abroad. He calls on Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to adapt quickly to the changing tourism landscape and redirect marketing resources and activities toward initiatives that are more tactical in nature and that convey the excellent value available, particularly in hotels and guesthouses throughout the country.

As an integral member of the Government’s Tourism Renewal Group, the IHF is committed to working closely with industry bodies to ensure tourism marketing initiatives are aligned with today’s economic reality. Mr Ryan states, “The cost of holidaying in Ireland has fallen substantially, and we need to get this message out there both at home and internationally. While Ireland’s brand building campaigns have been tremendously effective in the past, the priority now must be to entice people to holiday here by clearly spelling out the fantastic offers available in terms of accommodation and travel.  An over-emphasis on strategic initiatives and ploughing millions of euro into ‘Brand Ireland’ will not, in the short term, yield the best return on our marketing investment in today’s environment.”

Mr Ryan states that marketing spend is proven to generate a direct and immediate return in terms of increased tourism business. In the past, every €1 spent on tourism marketing yielded €15 in tourism revenue. As such, the €50m in marketing funding allocated by the Government to Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland for 2009 represents a sound investment in Ireland’s economy.

            “We must recognise that holidaymakers are now much more selective in their travel plans. For our part, hotels and guesthouses have streamlined their operations and sharpened their business models to meet the needs and demands of today’s more cost conscious guests. Very low prices are being passed directly on to visitors, and this must be reflected across all marketing activities.”  

An undeniable outcome of the recession is that people will travel less often and will re-examine the cost implications of every aspect of their holiday plans. This is of particular significance for visitors from Britain and Northern Ireland given the weak value of sterling. To address this, the IHF is calling for the setting up of a Sterling Price Fund to allow accommodation and travel providers to offer visitors guaranteed rates of exchange and offset currency movements in the value of Sterling. The fund should be supported by the Government and jointly funded by the exchequer and participating businesses.

Value Breaks on Irelandhotels.com
An example of the excellent value available in Ireland is the IHF’s recently launched Value Breaks promotion on Irelandhotels.com. The initiative offers excellent deals across hundreds of its member hotels throughout 2009. Deals range from 2 nights B&B from €79 per person sharing at weekends through to luxury Spa breaks from €119, including €100 worth of treatments per booking. And for those looking for affordable luxury and a five star experience, from €200 per person sharing, visitors can avail of 2 nights B&B including dinner at an Irish five star hotel.

FOR INFORMATION:
Siobhan Molloy / Eoin Quinn              Press office:  064 66 38443.
Dublin office:            01 6760168
Weber Shandwick                              Mobile: 086 817 5066 / 087 233 2191

*The Irish Hotels Federation represents almost 1,000 hotels and guesthouses throughout the country, which in turn employ 58,500 people.