Madam, – Orna Mulcahy (“Treating tourists like sheep at Dublin airport”, Opinion, May 15th) is absolutely right when she states that Ireland takes tourists for granted, but totally wrong when she claims that tourists “keep coming”.
Tourism and visitor figures have collapsed this year in the face of suicidal Government tourism initiatives such as the crazy decision to levy a €10 tourist tax from April 1st last and the even sillier decision by the Government-owned Dublin airport monopoly to apply for further price increases on top of the already very high passenger charges at Dublin airport for its third-rate, third-world facilities.
In recent weeks the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments have all responded to tourism declines by scrapping tourist taxes and reducing airport charges to zero. Isn’t it time that this stupid Government stopped shooting its largest industry (tourism) in the foot by raising taxes and airport charges during a recession? Sadly, tourist numbers will continue to decline for as long as this Government’s policy consists of taxing tourists rather than welcoming them. – Yours, etc,