Cormac Devlin urges hospitality industry to rethink prices in order to entice visitors

Fianna Fáil TD for Dún Laoighre and spokesperson on Dublin, Cormac Devlin, has urged those operating in the hospitality industry to carefully consider their price points to ensure Ireland remains competitive as a tourism destination.

Deputy Devlin was responding to a Lonely Planet article which warned potential tourists about the soaring costs involved when visiting Dublin.

Deputy Devlin said: “We have a fabulous tourism product but we do also need to be competitive.

“Spiralling hotel prices and the costs associated with car rentals are a major deterrent to tourists when considering Ireland as their holiday destination.

“Furthermore, the unfortunate reality is that a lot of people will look abroad for their summer break, as the cost of a staycation in Ireland can often far exceed that of a sun holiday.

“I fully appreciate that excessively long queues and wait times at Dublin Airport are causing significant distress to passengers as well as reputational damage to the country from a business, travel, connectivity and tourism point of view.

“It is simply unacceptable that the passenger experience at Dublin Airport is falling far short of the service that our citizens and visitors should expect at our largest State Airport.

“We want and need domestic tourism to thrive.

Travel disruption and soaring costs are pricing potential visitors out as well as acting as a deterrent for international tourists.

I will continue to highlight the issues raised and encourage my colleagues in Government to engage with the relevant stakeholders to ensure a viable solution can be reached.”