Tourism industry - Taxing it out of existence

In the current condition of the economy there is no doubt that some taxes are going to have to be introduced, and others maintained or increased, but the Government should ensure that these do minimum damage to employment.

Tourism has an enormous potential to provide employment, so taxes that impede tourism must be discouraged.

Many hotels are currently on restricted opening hours and hard-pressed Kerry hoteliers have called for a cut in local commercial rates, which are prohibitive in the recession.

Much has been made about the impact of the €10 airport departure tax, but questions must be asked about who is being discouraged from travelling.

If foreign travellers are being discouraged from coming to Ireland, this would be damaging. On the other hand, if the tax is actually discouraging Irish people from travelling abroad, it would seem to be serving a dual purpose — raising revenue for the Government and encouraging some Irish people to remain in Ireland, rather than holiday abroad.

If Irish people do not go abroad, there is a real chance of persuading them to holiday in Ireland. This could provide a real boost for hotels and the surrounding businesses, because Irish people tend to spend more on socialising, particularly more than American tourists holed up in their hotel rooms.

Many hotels are attracting Irish customers by offering spa treatments, golf breaks and other leisure activities like fishing, according to the President of the Irish Hotel Federation.

Our hotels can also be made more attractive to Irish customers by offering Irish people the kind of room prices that were formerly reserved for the foreign tour packages.

Give Irish people those breaks.