Written Answers. - Surveys of Tourists.
Noel Ahern
Question:
167
Mr. N. Ahern
asked the
Minister for Tourism and Trade
if any official surveys of tourists to the country take place in regard to their likes and dislikes; and if there is much negative comment on smoking in bars/lounges where food is served.
[9311/95]
Bord Fáilte's survey on overseas tourists, SOT, has been conducted annually on a continuous basis since 1972. The objective of the survey is to collect information on the most important traveller and trip characteristics of overseas tourists to Ireland. Each year up to 10,000 overseas tourists are interviewed at the major air and sea ports as they leave the country.
In addition to information on routing, purpose of visit, accommodation usage, places visited, activities engaged in, expenditure, etc., tourists are asked whether there were particular aspects about their visit which were unsatisfactory and whether they have any particular suggestions as to how a visit to Ireland could be improved.
In addition to the survey of overseas tourists, Bord Fáilte has also commissioned the visitor attitude survey, a survey of overseas tourists attitudes to Ireland as a holiday destination. This survey has been conducted every three to five years, most recently in 1993. In this survey departing overseas tourists are given a self-completion questionnaire, in addition to a reply paid envelope, and are asked to comment on their motivations and experiences, and in particular their satisfaction with the Irish tourism product.
In 1993 more than 3,000 completed questionnaires were returned. Respondents were asked to comment directly on the quality and price of accommodation, food, including food in pubs and bars, internal transport, tourist shipping, and activities/pastimes. Suggestions were also invited as to how the quality of these products could be improved.
Overall, respondents were asked to detail how their experience of Ireland either exceeded, or failed to live up to, their expectations. To date neither the survey of overseas tourists or the visitor attitude survey has registered any measurable reference to problems associated with smoking in bars or lounges.
