Industry warned not to rip off Ryder fans

Golf fans flocking to Ireland for next year’s Ryder Cup must not be ripped off by pubs, restaurants and hotels, Minister for Sports John O'Donoghue warned today.

The global event at the K Club next summer will attract 40,000 spectators each day along with 2,000 media personnel.

Hotels and B&Bs within 80 miles of the Co Kildare venue are already booked out.

Mr O’Dohoghue told the Dáil today: “We want our visitors to be able to say that they received value for money and want to come back again.”

He said he was aware of concerns of high prices being charged for goods and services in pubs, restaurants and hotels.

“Tourism is very important to us which makes it all the more necessary there should be no short-term opportunistic exploitation of our visitors.”

Mr O’Donoghue called on the Director of Consumer Affairs to carry out special checks during the event to ensure that prices are on public display in pubs and restaurants.

“The tourism industry must fully realise that if we don’t look after the consumer, we will lose market share.

“Every effort is being made to remind the industry of the need for value for money,” he said.

Mr O’Donoghue, who admitted he did not play the sport himself, said the 400 golf courses in the country meant it had the highest per capita number in the world.

Fine Gael spokesman on sport Jack Wall said some accommodation prices quoted in golfing magazines were very high.

“The Ryder Cup is an ideal opportunity for Ireland to be marketed as a golf haven like Spain and Portugal,” he added.

A golf visitor is worth two or three ordinary tourists because they stay longer and spend more, the minister said.

Figures for 2003 showed 133,000 golfing tourists spent €126m in the country.