In December, the Government unveiled an ambitious policy branded “A New Era for Irish Tourism”, which details 71 proposals to develop the national tourism industry; this month saw it allocate €400 million to put it into action. Tourism is a cornerstone of the Irish economy, and development of the sector should be welcomed in general. At the same time, an emphasis on local development with visitors in mind risks prioritising tourist entertainment over real residential issues, a tension we are already feeling in Dublin as one of the nation’s primary tourist hubs.
While tourist initiatives to beautify the city apparently benefit residents as well as visitors, they come across as hollow when basic issues remain unsolved. It can be difficult to appreciate the massive light projections Dublin City Council have installed across the city as part of this year’s “Winter in Dublin” tourist programme when your third bus in a row has just been cancelled and the streets around you are clogged with litter. In many cases, it is all-too-obvious that such projects are developed for tourists’ benefit rather than residents: Fine Gael’s proposal to turn the GPO into a “world-class museum” promotes the project not in terms of cultural or historical preservation but as an investment with the potential to draw in “millions of visitors” and transform the site into “the country’s most visited landmark”.
The disconnection between tourist-oriented spectacles and local life was on particular display last autumn, when the Government spent €10 million on hosting an NFL game, transforming the city’s streets, parks, and cultural spaces into spaces celebrating the American football match and welcoming the tens of thousands of tourists who poured in for the occasion. While, as the Government pointed out, the match was a massive economic opportunity, the gaudy “DUBLIN” signs, huge football and helmet sculptures, and Super Bowl exhibitions that took over the city’s streets were also painful illustrations of an administration focused more on impressing tourists than truly improving life for its residents. Indeed, several media outlets and politicians criticised the enormous spending and extravagant displays put on for the event, and questioned the lack of similar initiatives for GAA matches. As the Irish Times pointed out at the time, it proved that “there is plenty of creativity, ambition and money available when Americans come to town”. We echo their sentiment in urging instead that “Dublin doesn’t belong to tourists alone. It belongs to us all.”
The Government’s unabashed attempts to turn Dublin into a Disneyland for tourists is a kick in the teeth to residents who live in a city facing serious transport, cleanliness and safety issues, particularly when tourism itself can aggravate these problems. According to a survey conducted by Dublin City Council last year, while most residents thought tourism was good for Dublin’s economy, less than half said it had a positive impact on the city’s infrastructure and the quality of life of its residents. Many supported the introduction of a tourist bed tax, and suggested the revenue from it should go towards improving transport, safety and public spaces. Clearly, many Dubliners feel, as we do, that tourism should be funnelled into improving day-to-day life in the city rather than being used as an impetus for a plaster over deeper-rooted problems.
The solution, of course, is not to wind down tourism; far from it, as it continues to be a much-needed pillar of the national economy. But shaping up the city should mean more than a few inflatable installations that can be packed up after the tourists leave town. If the Government wants visitors to see a clean, vibrant and well-functioning Dublin, it must transform the city into that in earnest—not put on a cheap show.
