Some Irish people are vowing not to take a staycation this summer, with the growing cost of hotel accommodation and eating out in Ireland being blamed.
Paddy booked an apartment in Lanzarote, which he said was basic, but very clean and the staff were very friendly. “It was €360 per person for six nights, and for an extra €46 per person you could get all inclusive.” Paddy says he understands that Lanzarote and the rest of the Canary Islands are tax free, but he still thinks the prices in Ireland are too high. “The night before we flew out to Lanzarote, we had a meal in the hotel. It was nice, but it set us back about €90 for three people.”
It’s not just Paddy who was swayed to travel abroad in search of a better deal. One holidaymaker who preferred not to be named told RSVP he went to Albufeira in Portugal last year for a week with his brother. “I said I’d definitely be back again because it was actually my first ever sun holiday, and after the last couple of years I was definitely going to go abroad more.”
“I went onto booking.com out of curiosity. I honestly couldn’t get over the price. The Albufeira flights and accommodation for my nephew and I were a touch over €400. The hotel in my local town was €800 for two people for the same dates.” However, the tourism body said they have no role or remit in price setting regulation, as these are commercial decisions by individual businesses based on the costs that need to be recovered and the balance between supply and demand.