DUBLIN’s hospitality industry has been slammed for sky-high hotel, food, and drink prices, with a seven-night all-inclusive package in Turkey or Spain now costing less than a two-night stay in the capital.
Thousands of hurling fans from Tipperary and Cork are set to invade the city for the All-Ireland final this week, followed by football supporters from Donegal and Kerry for the football showpiece the following week.
Hotel rooms in Dublin city centre during the two weekends can be secured for between €450 to €1,100, depending on the star rating – and fans are expected to fork out thousands for a bed, food, drink, and a match ticket, along with travel costs, including parking.
Research has found that an all-inclusive week in the sun will cost roughly the same – or even less – than what GAA fans will part with over the next two weekends.
Sinn Fein’s Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said sky-high prices were causing enormous reputational damage to our tourism sector.
He told The Irish Sun: “This feels like Groundhog Day. Here we go again – every summer, the issue of hotels price gouging and ripping off tourists raises its head.
“And every summer, the Government watches on, tut-tuts, and then does absolutely nothing to ensure that we’re not here again in a year’s time.
“Whether it’s people travelling from Donegal, Kerry, Cork or Tipp for All-Ireland final weekends or people travelling to Dublin for Oasis concerts or Taylor Swift concerts, blatant price gouging is rampant and is an annual occurrence.
“This is an industry that was heavily supported by the taxpayer, especially during the Covid years. This annual price gouging is a slap in the face to the Irish people, and is causing enormous reputational damage overseas to our tourism sector.”
A study by travel experts On the Beach have estimated supporters will spend at least €600 each for a two-night stay in the city, while an all-inclusive four star stay in Antalya in Turkey, over the All-Ireland weekends, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks, as well as flights and a 20 kilo luggage from Dublin costs just €577 per person.
All-inclusive deals to the Costa Brava in Spain are also currently on offer for €600.
The research is based on it costing €300 per person for a hotel in Dublin city centre over the two weekends.
SKYROCKETING PRICES
Add to that an average of €115 per person for two light lunches and two evening meals, a €60 per person drinks kitty, €55 per person for transport by car (including tolls and city parking), and a €100 match ticket bringing the total to €630 per person.
Zoe Harris, Chief Customer Officer at On the Beach, said: “With hotel prices in Dublin skyrocketing for the All-Ireland weekend, it’s no surprise fans are tempted by alternative options.
“When you can swap a packed Luas, long queues and steep city costs for seven nights of sun, sea, and all-inclusive relaxation at a lower price, it becomes a very easy decision.
“We’ve seen a real appetite this summer for all-inclusive escapes, and GAA fans don’t have to miss a minute of the action, with many Irish bars across Europe showing every kick, point and goal.”
EXTRA DEMAND PRESSURE
Research by the Irish Sun has found that there is little difference in hotel prices in Dublin between the two All-Ireland weekends and on separate weekends in August and sky-high hotel prices in the capital have just become the norm all-year round.
“This feels like Groundhog Day. Here we go again – every summer, the issue of hotels price gouging and ripping off tourists raises its head.”
Pearse Doherty
A report last year by Failte Ireland found no evidence of price gouging during big events in Dublin, with cities around Europe exhibiting similar pricing patterns.
They found: “Many hotel markets, including Dublin’s, simply struggle to facilitate the extra demand pressure that comes with large-scale events.”
It noted that during the Bruce Springsteen concerts at the RDS in Dublin in May, 2023, hotel occupancy surpassed 90 per cent and average daily rates were above €250.
DUBLIN ‘NOT ATYPICAL’
On the same night the following week, occupancy was down to 83 per cent and the average daily rate was €200.
The report said: “Dublin is not atypical in this regard. For many hotel markets, including that of Dublin, available hotel stock cannot facilitate the extra demand pressure that comes with an event of such magnitude.”
Dynamic or “surge” pricing — when rates are adjusted to reflect market conditions including supply and demand, the cost of production and competition — was first discovered in the airline sector, but is commonly used in accommodation.
“When you can swap a packed Luas, long queues and steep city costs for seven nights of sun, sea, and all-inclusive relaxation at a lower price, it becomes a very easy decision.”
Zoe Harris
It has since now moved into concert ticket market after Oasis fans were left forking out huge prices to see the band on their reunion tour this summer.
Hotel rates often quoted in the media, as the Failte Ireland report stated, are usually for those booked at short notice amid exceptionally high demand.
It said: “While the pricing of the last remaining rooms can be headline-grabbing, the vast majority of rooms are cheaper.”
