Tourism transport operators such as car rental companies, chauffeur and limousine businesses and escorted tour providers will be eligible to apply for funding under the next stage of Fáilte Ireland’s strategic Tourism Business Continuity Scheme with the application process opening today, Thursday, April 8.
An allocation of €55million was secured by Minister Catherine Martin TD in Budget 2021 for a programme of funding under the strategic Tourism Business Continuity Scheme. The Scheme is designed to help strategically important tourism businesses through a direct financial contribution to support them with future operational and continuity plans. Fáilte Ireland is responsible for developing and administering the Scheme.
“We know that a significant number of international visitors use hired and escorted tourism transport services so a readily available stock of good quality hire vehicles is critically important to successfully spreading tourism across the country when it is safe to do so. The tourist chauffeur and limousine sector also provide important driver services for overseas visitors and we look forward to these providers making a positive contribution to Ireland’s economic recovery in the future,” Minister Catherine Martin TD said.
“The long-term survival of strategic tourism transport businesses is extremely challenging due to their reliance on international visitors. This Scheme is part of Fáilte Ireland’s work to support those vulnerable but viable strategic tourism businesses to survive the current crisis by offsetting their fixed costs while they are unable to operate. Research shows that exploring Ireland by car is popular with US visitors especially. In 2019, 43% of all American holidaymakers hired a car while visiting Ireland,” CEO of Fáilte Ireland Paul Kelly said.
Full details and eligibly criteria for Fáilte Ireland’s strategic Tourism Transport Business Continuity Scheme will be available on www.failteireland.ie from Thursday, April 8.
