There is no mystery.
We go abroad ourselves and enjoy towns and villages that feel authentic, are staffed by locals and serve food and drinks at great prices.
You holiday where you can experience a country.
We had a fantastic tourism product. Ireland was a feeling, an immersion in something slower, unspoiled and authentic. The people had a way about them. We welcomed Americans and British in their droves. Then we turned on the Brits during Brexit and our media is at war with half of the US population.
We closed hotels, turned them into IPAS centres, gave up on public order and charged a fortune for everything. Ireland is less friendly, ruder, dirtier and more expensive country than almost anywhere else.
Dublin is feral and feels unsafe.
It is pure arrogance to expect any other outcome.
I hope we can turn it around but I don’t think we can.
Ireland must ‘diversify’ its tourism market to counter drop in visitor numbers, says tourism chief
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