The tourism industry would itself have to take initiatives to ensure visitors got value for money, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, stressed yesterday.
Speaking at an international Tourism Ireland workshop in Killarney, he welcomed the special meal offers by restaurants and said similar action should be taken by other sectors of the industry.
Up to 350 overseas tour operators are attending the annual Ireland Travel Trade Workshop, being held outside Dublin for the first time, and the main message highlights value for money and competitiveness as critical factors for the troubled tourism industry.
"If we want to hold on to our share of the market we must offer value for money, such as the restaurants are offering, and I would hope to see further initiatives like that right across the industry," Mr O'Donoghue declared.
Speaking at a press conference, he ruled out the possible imposition of price controls by the Government. However, he said the Government was committed to introducing measures to tackle inflation and he hoped to have the report of the top-level tourism strategy review group on his desk in July. The Minister and senior Bord Fáilte and Tourism Ireland executives were reminded about the need for value for money by Mr Thomas Carlson, a Swedish travel agent and travel writer.
Mr Carlson said he could secure daily half-board in Austria for €36 for his clients, while rates in Ireland were double that. "I love Ireland very much and it's really great for the walking and cycling holidays I promote, but rising prices here are a big worry," he remarked.
The workshop is being attended by tour operators from 30 countries who are having 14,000 one-to-one meetings with over 640 people from the trade in Ireland. The visiting operators have spending power of €900 million.
Mr O'Donoghue maintained that improvements in access capacity would help Irish tourism, with two new routes from the US, Washington/Baltimore and Philadelphia and others from continental countries.
He said there was a renewed focus on the German market, the second-largest in the world, but it sent only 300,000 visitors to Ireland annually.
Also, countries such as Italy, France and Spain offered potential.
The workshop concludes today.