Home holiday plea falls on deaf ears

TRAVEL TRADE:FÁILTE IRELAND is urging people to holiday at home this year as the travel trade struggles with a 30 per cent downturn in the foreign-holiday market. Irish jobs in the travel trade are on the line, with many tour operators already having put staff on three-day weeks. Could Fáilte Ireland's message be the last thing the foreign- travel trade needs?

“While these are worrying times for most businesses, thankfully we still have the unreliable Irish weather on our side,” says Tanya Airey of Sunway. Customers want a break from the doom and gloom and are looking for good-value overseas destinations, she adds.

José Manuel de Juan of the Spanish tourist office in Dublin does not expect a huge drop-off in Irish visitors to Spain. The number fell by 1.5 per cent in January, compared with 20 per cent for UK visitors. Customers will choose according to “sunshine and how relaxed they feel” as well as to price, he says.

Suzanne Quinn of Holiday Homes Direct, which arranges overseas vacations, says her customers are now much more likely to ask for a best price. “If they perceive a holiday away from a hard winter and miserable summer will not break the bank, they are still going for that.”

Many high-street agents are suffering because more people are booking online, says Steve Rice of Ebookers.ie. Most Irish people plan to take holidays, but they intend to spend 13 per cent less, according to the company.

FáilteIrelandhopesits

€3 million advertising campaign will help to sustain domestic tourism jobs.