Ireland is considering joining the World Tourism Organisation, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism has confirmed.
This follows approaches from the WTO secretariat, a spokesperson said, and was being carried out on the basis of cost and benefits.
Mr Jimmy Deenihan, Fine Gael spokesman on tourism, said the annual cost of around €150,000 "surely should not prevent Ireland from becoming a full member."
At a time when many of the challenges facing tourism development were global rather than national, Ireland's membership would facilitate the exchange of experience and the identification of best practice, he said.
The WTO is an intergovernmental body that includes private-sector and non-governmental organisations, as well as professional associations. Major tourism destinations such as Spain, Greece, and Italy are full members.
The spokesperson for the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism said that even though Ireland was not a member, it had access to information and documentation provided by the WTO, and Irish consultants had been awarded WTO contracts.