A fall in business of up to 50 per cent has prompted the North-West Tourism Authority to start its own publicity campaign to try to undo some of the damage caused by foot-and-mouth.
Concern is growing that the negative publicity in the United States could cause even greater losses later in the season. The manager of North-West Tourism, Mr Paul McLoone, said he believed that until now many Americans went ahead with plans to come to Ireland because they had paid large deposits. "The issue now is that people are not booking holidays for later in the season," he said.
It was decided to run the publicity campaign because it was found that many Irish people were also misinformed. "At a promotion in Blanchardstown last week people were still asking if it was safe to travel. It was still these basic questions, so we need to get the message out to urban areas as well," Mr McLoone said.
An information campaign in local and national newspapers and on radio stations throughout Ireland will focus on the fact that most of the activities that draw people to the northwest are still available. Only a few, such as hill-walking, certain types of fishing and horseriding are restricted.
As part of the campaign there will be promotions in shopping centres in the Republic and Northern Ireland in an effort to attract visitors. An overseas media campaign is also being run alongside Bord Failte's advertising drive.
Tourism businesses throughout the north-west are crying out for greater efforts to counter all the negative publicity. Mr Paul Diver, of the Irish Hotels' Federation in Donegal, said even radio reports of halfhour traffic delays at the Border were putting people off travelling to Donegal. He said tourism had been "sacrificed" and that a major marketing campaign was needed. Mr McLoone said at a "conservative estimate" numbers visiting the tourist office in Sligo were down by 40 per cent. Small accommodation providers relying on niche areas such as fishing in Cavan or hill-walking in Co Donegal were "taking a severe bashing", he said.
"The year is looking very hazardous at the moment and everyone has suffered. We estimate we are down at least 40 per cent for the past two months and the best we can hope for now is to retrieve business for the rest of the season," Mr McLoone said.
One business suffering particularly badly is the Sligo Riding Centre, run by Mr Declan McGarry. He has lost 50 per cent of the bookings he had on March 1st, mostly from Americans, and people are still ringing up to cancel. In peak season he usually has about 100 people a week and accommodation is provided at local B&Bs and hotels.
"The big problem is misinformation in America - there is nothing you can do to convince people. They think they can get the disease, or that all their clothes will be burned at JFK airport going back," he said.
He has sold holidays on the basis that people will be brought riding through forests and mountains but they are now restricted to roads, beaches and the land around the centre. He is afraid many Europeans will also choose to go elsewhere.
He expects the restrictions to be lifted by May 1st as the tourism industry will not be able to suffer any longer. "The horse people have done their bit up to now, but I can't see them going broke. The Government can't expect people to go broke. Our costs don't change - we still have 100 horses in the stables and we need to hold on to the 50 per cent of the bookings we still have," he said.
At Oideas Gael in Glencolmcille, more than 2,000 people enrolled on Irish language courses last year. Some of these are centred on activities such as hill-walking and archaeology field trips. "We spent those weeks after St Patrick's Day writing refund cheques," said Mr Liam O Cuinneagain.
He also blames misinformation. People in the US assume everything has been cancelled and English people think British-registered vehicles would not be welcome. He believes there is urgent need for a "very focused" campaign in the US and Europe and is hoping that hill-walking will be allowed again by June when the summer courses start.
A member of the local tourism organisation, he says the effects could carry over into next year if small businesses are not given help with marketing funds. "By October they won't have any money for marketing for 2002 and if we don't want next year to be worse, Bord Failte is going to have to give marketing support," he said.