Tourism body ‘not marketing city enough as Capital of Culture’

A ROW has broken out between hoteliers and Tourism Ireland amid claims the organisation is not marketing Cork enough abroad in the run-up to the 2005 celebrations.

The national vice president of the Irish Hotels’ Federation, John Gately, yesterday criticised Tourism Ireland for failing to adequately market the region ahead of European Capital of Culture celebrations.

Mr Gately said he was horrified to find out on a recent Cork County Council-organised trip to Chicago that tour operators in the American mid-west did not have the city on their itineraries.