BRITISH TOURISTS have been promised better value for holidays in Ireland next year, including the lowest hotel prices in western Europe, by Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin during one of the world’s biggest tourism exhibitions in London.
“The big challenge is to bring the British market back up, because it has been slipping for the last few years.
“It is 50 per cent of the market, generating 40 per cent of the revenue, so it is critical,” said Ms Hanafin.
Irish ferry, hotel, and visitor attraction companies exhibited at the World Travel Market which was attended by up to 50,000 international representatives.
Hotel prices now average €80 per night – down from €100.
Efforts to encourage British tourists to travel to Ireland to trace their roots have been given a major boost, following the publication online of the 1911 census.
Ireland’s economic woes are not helping tourism marketing, Ms Hanafin said: “It hasn’t helped at all. There is no doubt that when there was positive publicity about the Celtic boom out there that people wanted to visit Ireland to see it, so negative publicity damages the attractiveness of the country, as well.”
However, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons, said: “I have been coming here for nine years and I have never seen the stand so busy, it is so encouraging.”
