Talk Ireland

The government's current policy of trusting to NAMA to be effective in creating bank lending and stabilising the economy before doing anything to encourage job opportunities is leading the country into deeper misery - as if things are not already miserable enough with the latest unemployment figures.  Surely now is the time for investment in tourism to provide employment and boost the economy.
 

Thousands of people throughout the country are already set up to provide eco-tourism activities such as training courses in arts and crafts, traditional skills, guided walks, pony trekking, cycling, kayaking, hiking, heritage trails, etc.  There are millions of Europeans who are members of clubs doing these activities and who would love to come and do them in Ireland - except they either have insufficient information or they can't afford the combined costs of activity fee plus transport plus food / accommodation / entertainment.  


The two biggest hindrances are poor marketing and expensive transport - the majority of such eco-tourists would prefer to keep their carbon footprint low by not flying, which means expensive ferry / train / car hire costs - and even those who fly have to pay exhorbitant local transport costs.  Tourism providers who want to offer a package find it difficult to compete with other countries because of the cost of local transport.
 

A bit of investment now in eco-tourism marketing, ferry and local transport discount incentives and support for activity providers would pay off many times in tourism jobs, income and, perhaps above all, hope and encouragement for people seeking a light at the end of the tunnel of recession.
 

The Greens should be pushing this kind of agenda and if they fail to do this, then they ought not to be in government.  If they do push it and fail to sway Fianna Fail, then they should quit the government - at least that way they would deserve some credit for trying and might have a hope of being listened to by a new government.
 

 
Bob Wilson
CELT (Centre for Environmental Living and Training)
Scariff
Co. Clare