Tourism firms criticised for response to attacks

Tourism companies have failed to provide adequate funding for visitors who are robbed or attacked during their holiday, it emerged today.

The Tourism Victim Support Service (TVSS) launched a long term funding drive last year to increase its limited annual budget of €70,000.

But in its annual report published today, it said the response from the tourism industry had been "extremely disappointing".

“It is far from encouraging that after 10 years of supporting tourist crime victims that the service is still not adequately funded,” it said.

However, many companies have provided complimentary accommodation, meals, transport and flights at the request of the service.

Over the past 10 years, the service has dealt with 4,000 cases of tourist crime and assisted around 6,500 people. Around 50% of the cases involve the theft of belongings and another 19% involve car theft.

However, last year the number of violent crimes against tourists increased by 18% from 32 incidents to 36. The service dealt with two people who were sexually assaulted, two who were robbed with a syringe and four who were robbed with a knife.

TVSS co-ordinator Tracy Doran said it was important to provide accommodation, meals, travel and advice to tourist crime victims to help them recover from their experience.

“It gives them a much more positive impression of Ireland. Once they’ve calmed down and got over the shock, they realise that there is crime in every city.”

There were more than 6.5 million visitors to Ireland last year.

Ms Doran said the tourism industry had once taken visitors for granted but had changed its attitude after numbers began to decline in the wake of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and September 11.

“The Céad Míle Fáilte (one hundred thousand welcomes) is back in vogue. We’re an example of that,” she said.

The TVSS has provided support to the families of Guido Nasi, a young Italian student who was left paralysed after an assault in Fairview Park in 1999, and Bettina Poeschel, a German journalist who was murdered in Meath in 2001.

Nearly 90% of the tourists the service deals with continue their holiday after receiving assistance.