Fáilte Ireland is launching a three-year strategy to grow tourism and increase domestic revenue by 7%.
Fáilte Ireland CEO Caroline Bocquel said that the plan is to spread tourism across the country outside the capital.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said the plan was about trying to spread tourism more evenly across the country.
"Getting it more into the regions that don't currently have a lot of tourism and more evenly through the year."
"So, looking really into the shoulder seasons, into the off peak, we also want to make our 46,000 tourism SMEs more competitive focusing particularly on areas where they can lower their costs, but also connect with those visitors, particularly through developing their digital capability."
She added that one in 10 people in Ireland are employed in tourism.
"We really see them as a huge economic engine. One in 10 people in this country is employed directly in tourism. So, huge opportunity there."
She said that the 7% target increase in revenue will be achieved through spreading tourism more evenly into the regions.
"We've seen some of our regions have been hugely successful, such as the Wild Atlantic Way and Dublin and then other regions like our Hidden Heartlands and Ireland's Ancient East have lots of capacity there for more tourism development.
"So, we really want to focus on the regions making sure that we're moving tourists more into those regions giving them lots of exciting things to do."
Ms Bocquel said that as a result of recent investment, "we will have hundreds of new businesses and new products there for people to enjoy.
"So, lots of really good reasons to travel, new accommodation, attractions, activities."
She explained that people will stay longer in the regions if they are given a good reason to stay for an extra day.
"So, we're already seeing this year, for example, our American visitors are staying half a day longer than they had previously. So, the longer that we can keep visitors in these regions, the better. So, we need to give them lots of really good reasons to stay.
"So we see opportunities, for example, to develop our outdoor Ireland products as well as our culinary tourism."
On the availability of accommodation, she said that at the moment it can be patchy.
"Certainly we have some accommodation shortages.
"The Government is working on a new accommodation strategy at the moment and we're providing support to them through that, through analysis and data to see where that accommodation is needed."
She added that 75% of people spend a night in Dublin, "so therefore if they can't get a night in Dublin then they can't get to the region".
Ms Bocquel said that the accommodation strategy is being developed, including public consultation, and that should be seen later this year.
Ms Bocquel said that Ireland has never been sold as a cheap destination but rather that it offers value to visitors.
"Ireland has never been a low-cost destination. But what we do want to be is to be the most rewarding place to holiday. So, we believe that we can offer good value to tourists."
She added, "I think there's a difference between cost and value. So, when people commit to having an Irish holiday, and we know for example that particularly given this season that we're having a lot of Irish tourists holding at home this year, when they commit to that expenditure and commit to that investment, the key is that they feel it was worth it, that they get what they expect, that they feel it was good value."
There has been an increase in tourism from areas of mainland Europe that have been experiencing very high temperatures, she said.
"It's devastating what's happening on the continent and in France and Spain in particular at the moment, obviously. But certainly we would see there is good opportunity for Ireland in terms of that sort of 'coolcations' opportunity where people want to maybe escape the intense summer heat throughout Europe and come here, and we believe that we can offer that.
"And certainly, we would see growing markets now, particularly in France and Italy for those types of holidays."
