Tax is killing tourism

IN response to Cathal Buckley’s letter headlined ‘Airline off course’ (June 23), I wish to assure him that the Government’s €10 tourist tax is responsible for the collapse of Irish tourism.

Ryanair last week promised that cuts at Dublin and Shannon this winter, made necessary by this tax, would be reversed if the €10 tax is scrapped.

There is an obvious difference between Ryanair’s online check-in fee, which is avoidable and replaces a €10 airport check-in fee, and the Government’s €10 tourist tax – which isn’t avoidable and is an effective 100% price increase on many winter routes from Dublin and Shannon.