Ryder Cup - Rip-off bogeyman haunts event

HUMAN nature being what it is, some people will invariably try to cash in on the Ryder Cup when it opens at the K Club in Co Kildare this September.

Aware of the risk, tourism chiefs have called on businesses not to unfairly jack up prices for visitors attending the world’s most prestigious golf tournament.

No doubt, if the price of a pint is hiked up, or the cost of accommodation, transport, restaurants and other services increased, it will make headlines for visiting journalists. The last thing Ireland needs is that its unenviable reputation as the rip-off centre of Europe be paraded before a global audience.

Besides calling for a seven-year investment in heritage attractions, a new report on the future of tourism calls for dramatic infrastructure improvements, including the rapid development of rail in the West, roads along the Atlantic coast, and broadband nationwide.

Recognising the urgency of improving value for money for visitors, the report’s call for tax reforms to allow business visitors and conference organisers claim VAT refunds on the cost of accommodation and restaurant charges, is worth considering.

Though Ireland will never rank as a cheap holiday resort, the country’s rip-off image could be softened if the industry stopped jacking up prices. Unsurprisingly, John Power, chief executive of the Hotel Federation, warned of the risk that “people can do themselves a lot of harm for short-term gain”.

In golfing parlance, a Ryder Cup rip-off, would give Ireland a bad handicap and severely damage the country’s tourism reputation as a destination abroad.