Chinese visitors run into Irish wall

Saturday, March 06, 2010

WHAT? Cork is spending money at the Shanghai Expo to boost tourism from China (Irish Examiner, March 3).

Oh, pleeeeeease!

What’s next? Will Murphy’s invest in a beer distribution network in Saudi Arabia? Or maybe Blarney Woollen Mills will establish an Aran sweater shop in Kenya?

Doesn’t the Cork Marketing Partnership understand how the Irish tourism visa system works? Ireland discourages visitors from China.

If a Chinese person wants to visit Ireland, we hit them with so much red tape that we almost go as far as barring them from our country.

If Chinese people want to come on holiday to Ireland, they must submit:

- Six months of bank statements.

- A letter of invitation from someone in Ireland confirming accommodation will be provided.

- A marriage certificate.

- A birth certificate for a child that may not even be travelling with them.

- A notarised certificate showing they have no criminal record.

- Three consecutive payslips.

- A letter from their employer showing they have been granted leave of absence and stating the duration of their employment, their position and their salary.

And all this must be translated from their native language into English.

This sends a very clear message to would-be Chinese visitors and the Cork Marketing Partnership will be guilty of deception if they suggest to people in Shanghai that we are Ireland of the Welcomes.

The idea of promoting tourism in a country where Ireland denies tourist visas is as laughable as FÁS training space engineers when we don’t have a space programme.

If the Cork Marketing Partnership is serious about promoting tourism in Cork, their efforts would be better spent lobbying the Department of Justice for a reform of our visa rules.

Gerry Mullins
Chief Executive
Coach Tourism & Transport Council
D’Olier Street
Dublin 2

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, March 06, 2010