‘Rip-off republic’ image is reversed

Ireland has reversed its “rip-off republic” image and is now giving tourists the best value-for-money rates in over a decade.

A new survey has found the country’s overall rating as a value-for-money destination has vastly improved from -11% in 2009 to +24% in 2012.

Tourism officials welcomed these, and other top-line trends, which have emerged from Fáilte Ireland’s annual Visitor Attitudes Survey, published yesterday.