Decrease in number of crimes against tourists this year

THE number of crimes carried out against tourists has dropped, according to the agency which aids visitors here.

With the main tourist season now over the Irish Tourists Assistance Service (ITAS) said it had dealt with 285 cases so far this year – approximately 10% fewer than in the same period last year.

Just seven of those cases involved violence, with the vast majority involving stolen passports, wallets and documents.

Chief executive of ITAS Lisa Kennedy welcomed the fall in the number of incidents involving tourists but said the drop was likely to have been caused by an overall fall in the number of visitors here.

A total of 494 tourists received some form of help from ITAS so far this year and Ms Kennedy said crime against tourists in general has been falling in recent years.

“Cases we would deal with are mostly the likes of theft, as opposed to violent crime – passports, money, credit cards, with people stranded without any means of getting home,” she said.

ITAS, which is a free service, can provide short-term accommodation and meals to those stuck without any financial means.

Ms Kennedy said 80% of incidents involving tourists took place in Dublin. By contrast, just two cases were reported to have taken place in Cork this year, although it, alongside other tourist hotspots such as Galway and Kerry, normally account for the remaining cases outside of Dublin.