Tourists visiting Ireland feel that they are not getting value for money.
CERT the training body for the hospitality industry conducted a survey of a thousand tourists. It shows that a large number of visitors to Ireland feel they are not getting value for money. Many tourists were shocked at the price of eating out,
Anyone who has holidayed abroad will know that the cost of eating out here can seem excessive.
Germans were the most negative with 76 per cent saying that they did not get value for money. 70 per cent of Italians, 63 per cent of French and 43 per cent of Americans were also unhappy with the price of food and drink. However, only 36 per cent of British tourists complained about prices.
According to the survey, complaints about the price of food have increased on last year. The introduction of the euro, allows tourists from other Eurozone countries to easily compare prices.
Eamonn McKeon, Chief Executive of CERT, said that tourists felt that there wasn't enough variety in the food on offer specifically when it came to mid range hotels and restaurants.
They felt that we used fried foods a bit much.
CERT is now calling on restaurants to provide more fixed price menus targeting the tourist market.
Paul Cartwright of Roly's Bistro says that while there is room for improvement, the food offering in Ireland is much improved.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 13 January 2003. The reporter is Eileen Whelan.
