Sir, – The Irish Times reports that Tourism Ireland will work mostly with tour operators to bring in only high-spending tourists, targeting those who are “value-added”, and not those “coming in and out, leaving a carbon footprint, but without bringing value” (“Tourism Ireland to ‘weigh’ benefits of further growth with environmental damage”, News, November 8th).
Which tourist has greater value? The modest backpacker who spends little but mixes with the locals and shares life experiences or the high-spending tourist who travels around in a package-holiday cocoon?
I would imagine that it is the high-spending tourist who leaves the larger carbon footprint. – Yours, etc,
TOM KELLY,
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Dublin 7.