Ryanair Welcomes Bord Snip’s Call to Scrap PSO Subsidies

Ryanair, the World’s favourite airline, today (17 July) welcomed the publication of An Bord Snip’s Report, which supports Ryanair’s repeated calls to scrap the €15m PSOs subsidies for regional air services, as well as further cuts in the waste at Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland quangos. Ryanair believes that these tourism quangos should be closed altogether †saving the Government €145m pa †which will fund the scrapping of the Government’s €10 Tourist Tax before even further damage is done to Irish tourism.

 

 
The CSO Overseas Travel report for May confirmed that 150,000 fewer visitors travelled to Ireland in May, a collapse of 18% compared to May 2008. Irish tourism is being devastated by the Irish Government’s €10 tourist tax, while at the same time Ryanair’s May traffic grew by 9% to 5.5m (an increase of over 500,000 passengers). All of Ryanair’s growth was delivered in other EU countries which don’t tax tourist and are more competitive and attractive to visitors.
 
CSO Report Visitors May ’08 805,000

May ’09 657,000 LOSS 147,000
 
In recent months the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments have all scrapped tourist taxes and/or reduced airport charges to zero in order to stimulate tourism. The Irish Government cannot grow tourism by taxing it and must scrap this self defeating €10 tourist tax now.
 
 
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said: “Ryanair has repeatedly called for the €15m PSO subsidies to be scrapped. We should also close the Irish Tourism quangos and use the €145m pa saved to scrap the self defeating and damaging €10 tourist tax. In recent months the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments have all scrapped tourist taxes and/or reduced airport charges to zero in order to stimulate tourism. The Irish Government should follow their example because Ireland cannot grow tourism by taxing tourists.”
 

 (c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 20-Jul-09