Madam, – Is the country going mad? Faced with the worst tourism crisis this country has seen, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) decides to increase the cost of access to the country by 26 per cent (Business Today, December 5th).
Has nobody in the DAA or Government read the Deloitte and Irish Tourist Industry Confederation reports? Deloitte’s European Performance review singled out Ireland. Despite our country’s huge growth in recent years, it now faces a fall in GDP of 7 per cent in 2009. Tourist arrivals have fallen 10 per cent for first seven months of 2009, with 15 per cent fewer visitors from the UK, Ireland’s major market.
The dramatic currency fluctuation between the euro and sterling has added to this downward trend. Ireland’s 22.8 per cent RevPar (Revenue per available room) drop was the worst countrywide fall in the euro zone.
Where would all the hotels and restaurants be in Ireland if they felt that the best way to drive tourism numbers and to keep our businesses going was to increase rates in the current crisis? The hoteliers and restaurateurs have responded well. Now we need the DAA and Government to give leadership, to think clearly and to react quickly. Any increase in the cost of access to Ireland would be ludicrous in the current climate and we should abandon the €10 travel tax immediately – today! Our greatest period of tourism growth was achieved with the arrival of Ryanair – it’s all about access at the right price. Let’s all be positive facing into 2010, we will only move on from the current crisis if we believe we can. – Yours, etc,