004 EDITORIAL
6/3/12
17:52
Page 1
The good, the bad, and the ugly A recent Irish Times report, citing one of the larger hotels groups partaking in supposed fake review posting, brings a real challenge to the websites that offer customers the opportunity to give an honest and accurate review of their experience at a particular venue. Some people I have spoken to within the industry believe this is not an isolated case and the group concerned were unfortunate to be exposed. That in itself is a worry. As more people use the internet as a major source of information, it merits the question as to what can be done to ensure this type of situation is discouraged and policed more effectively. Maybe some of these questions will be challenged and answered at the forthcoming IHF conference. We will wait and see.
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The continuing pressure from the banking sector to the industry unfortunately shows no sign relaxing. A lot of businesses are still concerned at the lack of funding available to assist with the day to day running of their business. Tourism is a real source of inward investment and must be supported, just like the food sector and agriculture. As we approach one of our largest festivals, St Patricks Day, Tourism Ireland have once again pulled off a few major marketing strokes - none more impressive than having some of the world's the iconic sites, including the renowned Niagara Falls and the TV tower in Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, bathed in green for the day. The London Eye, Burj Al Arab in Dubai, Table Mountain in South Africa, the Empire State Building in New York, and the Sky Tower in Auckland, some of the other buildings and attractions around the world which will "go green" this year to mark St Patrick’s Day, kicking off Tourism Ireland’s major first half promotional drive to grow overseas tourism. Failte Ireland's year review brought more positive news and is a welcomed signal that we are getting our act together. The one message that seems to be getting out to the market is that we are again a value for money destination. Speaking recently Shaun Quinn outlined some findings of research undertaken by Failte Ireland: "Overseas visitors perception of the value for money that is available in Ireland continued to improve throughout 2011 and, while the perception of value has been an issue for British visitors in recent years, better offers from the trade and a weakening of the Euro have helped. The perceived value of eating out, drink and the cost of living also improved significantly in 2011. "For example, in research conducted among overseas holidaymakers during the summer months of 2011, one in four stated that the overall value that they experienced in the area in which they were staying was very good, while a further two thirds said that it was good. Only a small minority of holiday visitors felt that the overall value in the area where they stayed was poor. Furthermore, preliminary indications from Fáilte Ireland’s Survey of Overseas Travellers are that satisfaction with value for money is at its best among French and German visitors since the introduction of the Euro ten years ago. Research also indicates that satisfaction with the cost of eating out, drink and the cost of living in Ireland in general has risen considerably compared to 2010." This seems to reinforce what Tourism Ireland has embarked on with their "Jump into Ireland Campaign" - so far market indicators are upbeat about the year ahead. Recent CSO figures show an increase in the region of 8% from 2010 to the latter end of 2011 and certainly points to a quantifiable upturn in the market. Another bright light on the horizon is sports tourism. A recent report undertaken by Focus Consulting highlighted the true potential of this market segment. See report on pages 16-17. The hope now is that growth and recovery of the industry can be maintained and supported by all concerned.
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H&RT FEBRUARY/MARCH ‘12
Cyril McAree Editor