Summary of ideas submitted in the Tourism category…

• Every tourist destination should have its own website.
• Expand self-catering tourist accommodation.
• Export and market traditional and locally made, quality arts and crafts to sustain Irish artists and craftspeople. Generate economic growth in the rural community.
• Extend the current free travel scheme for Irish citizens aged 66 to all EU citizens in the same age category
• Galway should have its own Botanical Gardens.
• Get foreign nationals in Ireland to promote Ireland to their friends/families and convince them to come over for a short or longer holiday to Ireland.
• Get Irish people travelling abroad to take brochures outlining the benefits of holidaying in Ireland with them, and create an Ireland Week around St Patrick’s Day with special offers that week
• Get local authorities to organise those claiming job seeker’s assistance to help improve signposting on Irish roads.
• Get potential Irish sties listed as World Heritage Sites.
• Get public libraries to run promotions to tie in with the Discover Ireland campaign to encourage people to holiday in Ireland
• Give free flights to tourists who fly at off-peak times and agree to stay at least one week.
• Give people of Irish heritage free flights to come visit.
• Give tourists tax breaks on Irish holidays.
• Government could provide free flights to tourists who confirm 1 month in advance of travelling. If they cancel the booking the fare will have to be paid by the tourist.
• Government should invest in the casino/gambling industry. Boost tourism and allocate a percentage of the profits to gaming trusts, community projects and the state.
• Government should take positive action to stimulate tourism by adjusting tax rates
• Guided tours of places of interest.
• Have welfare seekers work as tour guides. Create more trails, signposts, guides
• Hotel operators, coach companies and airlines should come together and offer deals on international sites.
• Hotels and B&Bs should accommodate dogs.
• Hotels prices should be fixed: this will prevent them increasing prices on high demand weeks/week-ends.
• Hotels should offer room-only packages.
• I suggest we launch an affordable all-in-one international tourist campaign: Trace Your Irish Ancestry, targeting the American market.
• Identify specific cities/towns that could be marketed as accessible tourism destinations for the mobility impaired or those with special needs
• If every county looked for its particular county “strengths” and publicised them as the county’s symbol.
• If we all became ambassadors we could encourage visitors to spend a few more days or perhaps a weekend in Ireland.
• If we can attract young people here, they will get a taste for Ireland and hopefully come back again.
• Implement a plan to utilise airports and hotels fully.
• Improve infrastructure to rural areas in Ireland and promote holidaying in Ireland.
• Improve Ireland’s tourist website.
• Improve our tourism image.
• Improve signage on roads for tourism, leisure and public safety.
• Improve standards in the services industry.
• Improve the appearance of the country - get unemployed architects involved.
• Improve the tourist information office.