Ireland – not really a Travel Blog

Slea Head, Dingle Peninsula

During a brief visit to Co Clare last weekend, while we were enjoying the beauty of the Burren, my partner said, ‘why not do an Irish travel blog?’ It’s a great idea and I will, but not today. What follows is mainly a critique on the Irish tourist industry. Also, to do an Irish blog, the problem is where to start? As I know Ireland so well, I am going to resist the temptation today to get into specific locations as it would not be fair on the many other places that I won’t have room to mention. I think it is fair to say though that no matter where you travel to in Ireland, you will be assured of an enjoyable holiday. Unfortunately our weather is very mixed and subject to change at a moment’s notice so don’t come for a sun holiday. That said, always pack some sun screen as we can get very good weather but be sure to squeeze a raincoat into your bag too.

So, let’s deal with a few generalities. Ireland has many natural advantages as a tourist destination. It has over four thousand kilometres of coastline, over 2,500 of which is the magnificent ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ (WAW), which encompasses the west coast and large parts of the northern and southern sea coasts. This is a continuous stream of wild coastline featuring huge (mainly deserted) beaches, mountains, high cliffs, inlets, bays, harbours, peninsulas, not to mention the dozens of islands, most situated within a short boat ride. Ireland also has hundreds of lakes and rivers and small towns and villages in the interior, all of which have their own peculiar charm.

Ireland also has a very well developed network of hotels, guesthouses and other forms of accommodation. Some of these have become expensive in recent years but good value can still be found in most places. There are also numerous restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and food outlets to cater for every palate. But the greatest advantage, to my mind, is the Irish people. Perhaps I am biased in this regard but I believe we are still among the most welcoming people on the planet. Irish people love to meet visitors; love to chat; will go out of their way to facilitate you and ensure you enjoy your holiday. I’ve heard people say that if you ask them for directions, they’ll nearly go with you to ensure you reach your destination. We are not unique of course; I’ve had similar welcomes in many places but it is still a distinct natural advantage. In recent years, a significant number of foreigners have settled in Ireland and many of them work in the tourism industry. During my travels around Ireland, I think I have been served by people from over fifty different nations. From what I’ve seen and experienced, the majority of these immigrants have fully integrated and embraced Irish culture. Their presence in the tourism industry has not in any way diluted the welcome; in fact in some ways, it has enhanced it.

The wild Atlantic way was initially a marketing initiative instigated to give tourism in the west a boost following the global recession in the late noughties. To say it was successful would be a huge understatement. It has acted like a magnet bringing tourists to every part of our western seaboard. It was so successful that tourism interests feared it would drag people away from attractions elsewhere. This has now been addressed by the Tourist Board; marketing initiatives such as ‘Ireland’s Ancient East,’ and ‘Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands,’ designed to bring tourists to the rest of the country, have restored the balance. The tourism industry is booming in all sectors. Ireland hasn’t yet reached the type of congestion experienced in places like Venice and Barcelona but if we do, I would suggest we handle it a little more diplomatically and practically. The worst possible thing we could do would be to convey the message that people were not welcome. This, to mind is our unique selling point (USP).

View from Valentia island, Kerry. Considered one of the most scenic views in Ireland, if not the world.

I think it was Mark Twain who said ‘if a man has a reputation as an early riser, he can sleep until noon.’ In this regard, Ireland has a world renowned reputation as a beautiful country and a welcoming tourist destination. Because of this, we can probably get away with some of the shortcomings which might put people off visiting other destinations. Chief of these is probably the weather.

I recall some years ago bringing two groups of high performing foreign staff on tours of Ireland over two separate weeks. Both groups visited the same destinations. For the first group, the sun shone all week and they were awed by the scenery. Most told me it was the best week of their lives. Unfortunately it rained heavily for the second week and while the staff group had a good time, they saw very little as the country was obscured by fog and heavy rain.

Now I readily accept that there is nothing we can do about our weather. Most visitors accept this and say that they didn’t come for the weather anyway so our reputation stays intact. What we can do and need to do is to monitor other factors which have crept into our country and which in the long term could damage our reputation. There is evidence of careless pricing and price gouging, particularly in the hotel sector especially when there are special events. This is mainly in the larger cities but prices have surged in many of the more remote tourist destinations also. You cannot blame people for trying to capitalize on what is, in many places, a short tourist season, but there needs to be balance and charging higher prices for poor accommodation is a recipe for disaster in the medium to long term. Tourists are like everyone else and vote with their feet – if they are overcharged or experience poor value, they won’t return and they are likely to discourage others from visiting also. Having holidayed in places like France, Italy, Switzerland and Scandinavia in recent years, I can report that Irish prices are not that far removed, so we are walking a thin line here with little room for manouevre. Many Irish people go abroad to destinations like Spain and Portugal because they say they cannot afford to holiday at home. This is worrying and needs to be monitored closely by tourism officials. We have a wonderful product in Ireland but if we start charging too much for it, we will discourage all apart from the wealthy. The vast majority of tourism is undertaken by people in what is called the middle class and it is crucial to retain this sector.

Another bugbear of mine is the price of some basic essentials such as a cup of coffee or tea. I realise that to serve a proper coffee you need a good barista and a good machine; you also need to acquire decent coffee. Most places manage to do this and charge around three euro. Unfortunately some of our better known outlets are charging four and even five euro. To me, this is nothing short of a ‘rip off.’ To charge the same amount for a cup of tea, when the only action required is to boil water and provide a tea bag is outrageous. I have seen this practice mainly in chain coffee houses owned by corporates but it is showing signs of spreading and is a worrying trend. To be fair, I have found no evidence of overcharging in restaurants. Prices in Dublin are high but the rest of the country is reasonable and offers good value. The fare on offer is also of a very high standard and has improved immeasurably over the past twenty years. Irish restaurants now offer food which can compare with what is on offer in any country I have visited worldwide. In many cases, we exceed the standards elsewhere.

Environmentally we have had our issues over the years with some rivers and lakes polluted by industrial and agricultural waste and some of our beaches declared unsafe for swimming. I’m fairly sure that these issues have been addressed and we are now probably as ‘green’ as any destination. We should always bear in mind though that our beautiful lakes, rivers, mountains and seas are the lifeblood of our tourist industry and need to be safeguarded.

Something which annoys and baffles tourists everywhere is having to pay for something which doesn’t appear to make sense. Car parking is an example. Obviously, in large cities, multi-storey car parks have to be constructed and paid for but asking people to pay in remote areas or where they are already a patron of an outlet is annoying. It can also be frustrating because different car parks use different meters; some take cash; others only a credit card; in some instances you must go on line and pay remotely. It’s difficult enough if you are a local; imagine how a tourist feels? To be fair, most beauty spots or attractions have free car parks. It is important that these are maintained in order to continue to attract people.

It gives me no pleasure to say it, but probably the worst example of this is situated at Ireland’s most visited tourist site, the Cliffs of Moher. The site is remote so the only way to visit is by car or coach tour. When you arrive, you are directed into a car park where there is a charge of fifteen euro per person. So, two people in a car pay thirty euro or four pay sixty and so on. What do you get for this money? Well, you get to park your car in a car park which is partially paved and partially rough gravel. And you get to see the cliffs – but if you arrived on foot or by bicycle, there is no facility to charge you. The cliffs are there anyway and no one can stop you from seeing them so effectively you pay sixty euro to park your car. Now the cliffs are beautiful and well worth visiting but you are left with the feeling of being ripped off again. The cliffs are the most popular tourist destination in the country but I have no doubt that this is due to them being heavily promoted by the tourist board. Accessibility also plays a part and the cliffs are easily reachable from any part of the country. They are smack in the middle of the WAW and are only three hours from Dublin, so day trips are possible and very common.

So, why did I feel cheated? Well, apart from the exorbitant car park charge, I asked, are the cliffs really that spectacular? I am aware that I am in severe danger of losing any Clare friends I have by saying this but let me explain: The cliffs of Moher are 700 feet high. The far lesser known Kerry cliffs, situated on the Ring of Kerry (also WAW) are over 1,000 feet high and to me, look far more spectacular. Why they are not promoted more heavily, I don’t know. But wait, the Sliabh Liag cliffs, in Donegal are 2,100 feet high, more than three times the height of Moher. If you ask most Irish people, they’ve never heard of them. Again, this must be due to lack of promotion. On a personal basis, having visited all three, the Donegal cliffs have to win out. And here’s the thing – to see the Kerry cliffs, you pay five euro per person. In Donegal, the only charge is five euro to park your car, regardless of how many are on board. Mind you, the walk to the cliffs is a bit longer but well worth it.

But I digress. I just selected this example to demonstrate that if we are not careful as a nation, we may shoot ourselves in the foot. Modern Ireland with all the IT multi-nationals and pharma companies located here is thriving. However we do still earn a significant proportion of our earnings from inbound tourism. No one expects the multi-nationals to go anywhere despite threats by Trump to sanction them. Nonetheless it is crucial to bear in mind that regardless of which foreign companies are located here or what happens in the economy in general, we will always have the tourism option. The scenery will continue to be beautiful. The Wild Atlantic Way will always be there and the mountains and lakes won’t disappear. The only danger to the tourism industry is the human factor. So guys, be careful with your charges and please don’t kill the golden goose.