Sport for Business’ latest Members’ Round Table event proved to be a feisty affair on issues surrounding sports tourism with strong views expressed around the need for more strategic planning of a policy to encourage sporting tourists of all kinds and more resource to put sporting event attraction on the same structured platform as exists for business and conference events.
We emerged with a number of actions to try to improve things and a clearer sense of where the gaps lie in terms of perception and reality of what can be done to encourage more winning results for Ireland in this competitive area.
Here are eight of the many thoughts and themes to emerge from the discussion:
- There are clear targets in the National Tourism policy with regard to raising overall revenue from the sector to €5 Billion, jobs to 250,000 and visits to an annual 10 Million all by 2025 but work needs to be done to specify where this growth will come from. There are references to festivals and sporting events playing an important role but no specific targets set in those more detailed areas.
- There is a significant issue with bed capacity in Dublin for the next three years until construction of new hotels eases the pressure. This is especially the case, according to the Hotel Federation, between the months of May and October which is when many of the key mass participation events are likely to be looking at. There was a view that Government support for such events at this time would be of limited benefit as it would only displace existing tourism business. This was not a view shared by all.
- Government support is made real through money but that is a less important overall factor than the confidence it breeds among other parties that Ireland is serious about hosting major events. In relation to the College Football Classic, the support of Government covers only a fraction of the cost of bringing the event but the statement that investment made was enough to bring all the parties that needed to say yes to do so.
- Sporting events provide people with a compelling time based reason to travel. Internationally even through the deepest days of recession that was the spark that made people do so. Sports tourism is among the most resilient sectors there is.
- Major events bring people in from overseas who want to experience more than just the event. Ireland is a small country and even though many of the events are in or near Dublin that does not stop tour operators from building itineraries that benefit the rest of the country.
- Experience and participation is a critical element in the Sports Tourism mix, whether that be cycling the Ring of Kerry or Surfing along the Wild Atlantic Way.
- Research undertaken by W2 has revealed that the top 12 participation events in Ireland over the past year have generated economic value in the region of €43 Million.
- 2 Million people attended sporting events that attracted over 100 Million viewers around the world last year. Sport is central to the fabric of how we see ourselves and wish to be seen as a nation. There is though a significant gap in how it is represented, visually and contextually in the way in which Ireland and regions are presented. Work needs to be done to bridge these gaps.
The group that gathered for the meeting included representatives from The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the GAA, Experience Gaelic Games, Abbey Tours, Dublin City Council, Corporate.ie, the Irish Greyhound Board, W2 and Sport for Business.
We make no claim to be fully representative of the many interests that exist within this debate but we did put our hands up to move the debate along.
Next Step:
The Sport for Business Members’ Round Table events are never just there to let off steam. We always look to bring concrete proposals from the room.
In this instance we will be preparing an outline ‘blue-sky’ document of how sport, and the tourism sector might like to see the state agencies marshall the resources they have in order to shorten the perceived gap between the support that is already there and how it is both sought and utilised to best effect.
Our next Round Table event will be on Responsibility in Sports Marketing on October 15th. If you are a member of Sport for Business and would like to be part of that discussion please let us know how you think you might contribute.
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