Ireland found to be not 'exotic' enough

British tourists see Ireland as a "less than exotic" holiday destination and find few compelling reasons to return, the latest survey from Tourism Ireland has found.

Although Britain remains the country's biggest tourism market, with more than two-thirds of all visitors coming from the UK, Ireland is seen as more expensive and "less foreign and exciting" than other destinations.

Ireland's traditional selling points of friendliness and culture were no longer enough to attract British visitors, Tourism Ireland chief executive Paul O'Toole said.

"Respondents said that Ireland's key points of difference lie in the welcome, the hospitality and the chat and humour of the people. These are valuable, but essentially intangible, qualities and we cannot necessarily rely on them alone in the future."

The tourism industry needed to revitalise by marketing specific activities and events such as festivals to offer the visitor a uniquely Irish experience, he said.

"The current offering has now become too easy to put in the 'go later' box, and we will continue to lose market share unless we take steps to address the issues."

The number of British visitors to Ireland had grown by almost one million since 1997, reaching a record 4.6 million in 2003, Mr O'Toole said. However, British visitors are staying for a shorter time than previously and the overall number of British tourists fell by 1 per cent last year, according to Central Statistic Office figures.

The survey respondents said Dublin was not a cultural experience like Paris and had no world-famous sites. It was seen as less sophisticated than other European capitals and, in terms of value for money, was "pricey".

Overall, British tourists saw Ireland as a "less than exotic holiday destination". A large number of respondents did not see it as a foreign destination and said they would rather "go abroad", indicating countries such as Spain and Greece, which they perceived as cheaper.

One respondent said: "I don't think of Ireland as a foreign holiday. It doesn't have the excitement. It's slightly different, perhaps [from Britain], but not foreign and it would probably cost as much as a foreign holiday."

Ireland's proximity to Britain was not seen as a major selling point, and ease of travel was rated as on a par with other destinations.

People who had not visited Ireland before were put off by the weather, which they described as "very wet".

Younger people saw Ireland as a destination for older visitors with one respondent saying: "When I'm 60 I'll go to Ireland. My dad goes fishing there."

Tourism Ireland said it was redesigning its British marketing campaign in light of the survey.