Tourism providers in the west and south were yesterday warned not to cut back on quality and to ensure value for money in what is going to be a difficult year.
They were also told the best way forward for the west "from Derry to Kerry" was increased co-operation and marketing of the area as a single entity.
"My concern is because it's a difficult year, cut-backs could impact on quality. In the interests of the long term that shouldn't happen," Mr John Leonard, Regional Tourism Manager, Shannon Development, told a seminar in Killarney.
Word of mouth brought most tourist business. Quality, value for money and marketing were all critical factors. There should be no let-down, even in promotions in the American market, so as to ensure "an early bounce back", Mr Leonard said.
Hotels, night-time entertainment and car hire would suffer most from the downturn in the US market this year.
Accommodation providers were advised to market entertainments and attractions to encourage visitors to stay longer in the region, to make up an anticipated shortfall in visitor numbers.
Western regions feed into each other and do not compete. A large percentage of visitors - up to 50 per cent - coming to the Shannon region, also go to Kerry and almost 40 per cent visit Galway. This contrasts starkly with visitors arriving to Dublin from where only a relatively small percentage feed into the west, the seminar heard.
Ms Kathleen O'Reagan-Sheppard, secretary of the Kerry Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, called on tourism interests in the west to unite on "a single election issue" to reduce landing charges at regional airports and pave the way for greater access to the region.