Vol. 551 No. 2
460 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation his views on whether the Irish tourism product has grown stale and jaded; his further views on serious over pricing in some instances; his further views on the alarming lack of attention to service and customer satisfaction in many tourist locations; his proposals in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10291/02]
In responding to the question, I draw the Deputy's attention to the results of research conducted by Bord Fáilte among overseas visitors to Ireland last year which showed that: one-third of visitors' experiences surpassed their expectations; more than 60% of visitors felt their expectations were met; and only 4% were disappointed. It is true that an increasing proportion of our visitors from mainland Europe are concerned about value for money, especially the cost of eating out and the price of alcohol. However, more than half of overseas visitors expressed satisfaction with all round value for money in Ireland.
In terms of service and customer satisfaction, Bord Fáilte's research showed that nine out of ten overseas visitors said that friendliness and hospitality were an important factor in choosing their Irish holiday and 88% declared themselves very satisfied with the friendliness and hospitality encountered during their stay. This is echoed by research carried out by CERT which revealed a generally high level of customer satisfaction with service.
I have continued to impress on the tourism and hospitality industry the importance of maintaining international competitiveness and keeping prices as low as possible, in particular given the advent of the euro and the increasingly discerning and demanding attitude of international travellers. Customer service is critical in any service industry, and particularly in the tourism and hospitality industry. In recent years, CERT has invested heavily in fostering a culture of customer care within individual businesses and todate, over 4,000 managers and employees have benefited from customer care training under the "Ireland's Best" programme.
