The process has begun which may see the amalgamation of Bord Fβilte and CERT, the State training body for the catering industry. The Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, has told both bodies to explore the possibility of coming together. Bord Fβilte has lost its traditional overseas marketing role to a new body, Tourism Ireland Ltd, and many of its personnel are transferring to the new body. The same holds true for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
This development is a logical outcome of the Good Friday Agreement, which envisaged co-operation on the island of Ireland when this is economically sensible and does not trespass on political sensibilities. Tourism does not recognise borders, even if politicians do. To our overseas customers Ireland is a single destination. It makes sense, therefore, to market the island as an entity. Tourism Ireland Ltd has now been charged with this task.
While the economic logic may be recognised, other issues arise. Predominant among them is the management of this change as it affects the careers of individuals. Bord Fβilte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board have people of high quality, who have served their organisations well. The success of Irish tourism in the last decade is well documented. The ability of Northern Ireland to increase visitor numbers is all the more remarkable given the constant backdrop of violence relentlessly and inevitably portrayed in the media.
Many of the people involved will transfer to the new company, but others are bound to wonder what role they will now have once the high profile and relatively glamorous function of international marketing has gone elsewhere. It is important they receive the reassurances from the Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, and others involved in major change that their service is valued.
Bord Fβilte has always had a role in overseeing standards in the tourist sector. Indeed, its vigilance in this respect has not always been appreciated by some parts of the tourist industry. It fits naturally into CERT, whose training standards are internationally recognised as being of the highest quality. Still, a merger of two organisations is never easy. At a human level, individuals wonder how they will fare out.
When Dr McDaid receives the reports from Bord Fβilte and CERT at the end of September, he should consider closely the human resources implications. A merger seems sensible but it must be handled sensitively.