DUBLIN, May 20 (Reuters) - Ireland lost some 16,000 visitors per day at a cost of 9 million euros per day during the European airspace shutdown last month which grounded 100,000 flights, Irish Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Mary Hanafin said.
Ireland, known as the "Emerald Isle" because of its lush greenery, was one of the first countries to see its airspace closed for days in April over fears of the effect on jet engines of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland.
Its overseas tourism industry is worth about 4 billion euros ($4.97 billion) a year but like other countries, the sector took a hit in the economic downturn when a local property crash also transformed Ireland into one of the euro zone’s weakest links.
Hanafin told Reuters in an interview tourism was key for recovery as Ireland emerges from one of the deepest recessions in the developed world and the sector is targeting a 3 percent increase in tourist numbers this year.
"Tourism is essential for the Irish economy," she said, adding that the 2010 tourism budget was boosted when many other sector budgets were either frozen or cut back.
Ireland’s tourism industry is now seeking to reassure visitors about potential further volcanic ash disruption by implementing a first of its kind charter to help sustain a sector, seen as a key driver for economic recovery, she said.
About 1,000 businesses have so far signed up on a voluntary basis to the charter, under which cancellation fees will not apply when intending visitors cannot travel due to ash-related disruption. Contracted rates must also be adhered to when they need to extend their stay due to the disruption.
"We don’t know what’s going to happen with the volcano so all we can do is say to people that we’re open for business, we are accessible and we will look after you when you come here," Hanafin said, noting recent disruption was shorter.
"We were the first to make the headlines … and even though plenty of other countries were hit for as long and as badly as we were, Ireland was the one that made the news … so that’s why we feel that this charter will try to reassure people."
After several short-term closures of parts of airspace in countries across Europe since April, British and Irish air officials and aircraft manufacturers have agreed the creation of a new flying zone to limit the volcanic ash disruption.
Ireland has launched a 20 million euro summer marketing drive to lure tourists from key markets Britain, the United States and mainland Europe after numbers fell about 12 percent to nearly 7 million visitors last year.
