Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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935.To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures being considered to reduce the cost of tourist accommodation. [32476/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Neither my Department nor Fáilte Ireland have control over prices set by service providers within the tourism industry. Each operator decides on their level of charges having regard to their costs and the requirement to make an adequate return on their investment.

However, while Ireland is not a low-cost destination, it is vital that the sector keeps the value for money proposition to the fore across all its segments to ensure that our high quality reputation is maintained and that new and repeat visitors continue to come here. The long term impacts of pricing needs to be carefully considered by all tourism businesses in setting their prices.

While there is fair value to be had in tourism accommodation, including hotels, around the country for much of the year there are specific price spikes at specific times and locations, often coinciding with concerts and sporting events. Fáilte Ireland has recently published on its website independent research that it commissioned on hotel pricing in Dublin which confirmed that, by comparison to the competitor set, Dublin hotels are broadly in line in terms of average daily rate and levels of operating margin.

The Hospitality and Tourism Forum which I co-chair with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment provides a platform for structured engagement with the tourism and hospitality sectors. The Forum met most recently on 12 June and my officials are engaged on an ongoing basis with Fáilte Ireland on a range of issues relating to the tourism sector, including potential concerns around pricing. The issue has also been discussed in detail by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media at a number of hearings with the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, Fáilte Ireland and my own officials. I also met with the IHF in May.

A collective and concerted multi-stakeholder approach to tackling tourism challenges, including rising costs, is required, and that is the approach that my Department and the Government is pursuing, while continuing to emphasise the importance of maintaining a long term perspective on competitiveness and value for money.