Bord Fβilte has called for discounted landing charges at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports urgently to help the Republic's tourist industry weather the crisis it faces in the wake of the attacks on the US. "To enable this to be done, Aer Rianta capital costs should be subsidised by the Government just as CI╔ capital costs are borne by the Exchequer," the tourist board said.
Such a move would help develop low-cost access from mainland Europe, a market of 300 million from which the Republic receives around 1.4 million visitors annually, Bord Fβilte said. It described current high landing charges as "the single greatest deficiency in tourism policy".
Bord Fβilte believes special action is needed to help the tourist industry following reports of huge cancellations in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. The cancellations threaten the viability of many hotels and other sectors of the £4.7 billion (€5.97 billion) industry - Ireland's second largest revenue earner - and could lead to thousands of permanent and temporary job losses, it said.
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