I am very happy to be here to be here this morning and I would like to thank you for giving your time to join us.
This is my first visit to China and I am delighted that it comes so soon after I had the pleasure of welcoming Vice President Xi Jinping, to Ireland. I know that the Vice President Xi enjoyed his visit to the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle as well as to Dublin.
Although vastly different in scale Ireland and China have much in common. We both have a long and dramatic history and our peoples have witnessed dramatic change in the recent past. Like China, Ireland has in a short space of time transformed itself from a agrarian society to a high technology economy.
As in China, Irish people have retained the values of the countryside as we have moved into the city; values of good neighbourliness, community and above all of hospitality.
Tourism is an important and growing industry for Ireland. Last year over 6.5 million overseas visitors came to Ireland, generating an estimated €3.5 billion in revenue for the economy and supporting around 180,000 jobs in communities across the country. My Government wishes to see many more Chinese visitors coming to Ireland. Our Approved Destination Status is an important factor for us in attracting tourists but we also welcome individual and independent tourists.
Last year, my Government introduced a visa waiver scheme which made it much easier for Chinese tourists to visit Ireland. I am delighted to be here today to tell you that we are now extending that scheme for another four years so that tourists from China who already hold a valid short-term UK visa, and have cleared UK immigration, will be able to travel with absolute ease to Ireland as well. The foresight of this initiative was rewarded with an immediate and significant increase in interest in Ireland in China, while nine top tour operators decided to programme Ireland for the first time in 2012.
Those who would like to travel independently can also avail of short-stay visas. We believe this is a major advance for our tourism industry will encourage Chinese tourists to travel to Ireland. Tourism Ireland – the agency which markets the island of Ireland overseas – will be working hard here in China to assist those of you in the travel trade in selling Ireland to your clients and customers. We are maintaining representation in both Beijing and Shanghai despite cost cutting measures taken to assist in our economic recovery.
Ireland is a great holiday destination and was ranked last year by the lonely Planet Guide as among the most friendly places in the world to visit.We have the scenery, we have the food, we have the historic buildings and ancient traditions and we have culture, old and new; we can offer something for everyone.
China has discovered the glorious dancing spectacle that is Riverdance, and Vice President Xi enjoyed the performance in Dublin just as many of you will have enjoyed during the Chinese Spring Festival Gala on Chinese TV a couple of years ago. But that is just a small taste of what we can offer in music and dance.
Similarly many Chinese people know the works of George Bernard Shaw and James Joyce, but we have many other writers and poets for you to discover.
You all know that we have world champion golfers in Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke and you can play where they learned on more than 500, including some of the world’s very best, golf courses.
And when all the activity is done Chinese visitors can enjoy an exclusive shopping experience with high quality design and crafts from Irish and international designers.
In conclusion, I would like to thank all of you for the great support you have shown Ireland and Tourism Ireland over recent years. We look forward to working closely with you in the future to develop our mutual interest in tourism. And, to borrow from the traits associated with the year of the dragon, I can assure you that Tourism Ireland will be promoting Ireland here in China with enterprise and innovation, passion and perseverance.