7.66 There are also further opportunities to enhance economic potential and jobs creation through innovation and diversification in Cork City’s hinterland.
Tourism
7.68 Tourism is an important indigenous economic industry in Cork City where it provides income and jobs through direct and indirect employment. It also plays a valuable role in promoting Cork as a place to live and work to visitors and businesses with the sector often acting as an initial interface between Ireland and international investors, therefore representing an opportunity to positively influence foreign direct investment. Cork City boasts a high quality natural, cultural and built heritage and forms a gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East. In 2019, prior to disruption associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism sector generated €9.5 billion nationally, equating to 3.6% of GNP in revenue terms. The south west region, including Cork, was the second highest performing region (behind Dublin) in terms of the number of visitors in 2019 and Blarney Castle and Gardens was in the top-10 of fee-charging visitor attractions in the State, attracting a total of 460,000 visitors in the same year. More recently, travel website ‘European Best Destinations’ cited Cork as among the 15 of the ‘European Best Destinations 2020’ following a vote of more than 600,000 people. 7.69 Ireland’s national tourism policy, ‘People, Place and Policy: Growing Tourism to 2025’ seeks to maximise the economic contribution of tourism, while protecting the invaluable assets that are our natural, built and cultural heritage. This reflects the approach of Cork City Council in promoting the sustainable growth and expansion of tourism in the city whilst protecting the very assets and uses that attract tourism. It is a diverse and dynamic sector with intense competition for visitors and this is likely to be amplified as the global tourism sector recovers from setbacks associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. 7.70 Heritage, cultural, creative and arts facilities form a key part of Cork City’s tourism offer and catalyst for further growth in visitor numbers. These are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 8 while the tourism potential of rural parts of the wider city is discussed above and the City’s Green and Blue Infrastructure is addressed in Chapter 6 Green and Blue Infrastructure, Open Space and Biodiversity.
Creative Industries and the Arts
7.67 Cork City already benefits from a host of creative and artistic enterprise and this economic niche area will be supported into the future as part of the overall strategy of delivering a more diverse economy. The sector includes, but is not limited to, music, film, visual and performing arts, IT, publishing, art and crafts. The City Council will encourage the delivery of new workspace for SMEs, the creative industries, artists and the fashion industry within new mixed-use developments and will work with stakeholders to explore opportunities for workspaces to be delivered.
4 Fáilte Ireland Key Tourism Facts 2019 (Published March 2021). 5 www.europeanbestdestinations.com/destinations/cork
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Cork City Draft Development Plan 2022-2028
Volume 1 I Chapter 7
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