Transport, Tourism & Sport Minister Leo Varadkar says he has started talks with airlines on abolishing the €3 travel tax. He says this would be part of a deal to re-open closed airline routes and bring more tourists into the country.
Minister Varadkar, who was addressing the AGM of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, also said the Government was hoping to make it easier for tourists from rapidly growing economies to visit Ireland by making changes in visa requirements.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed chairman of the tourism body, John Healy, said the industry was 'on the turn', and predicted that the second quarter of this year would see the first growth recorded since early 2008.
The ITIC says the tourism industry has lost almost a third of its visitor numbers and revenue since 2007.
Mr Healy announced the creation of a tourism industry taskforce to work with the State tourism agencies in designing a plan for the industry.
