Tourist charges lead to “better facilities” and "management" at our natural attractions, according to a leading travel journalist.

It comes as Venice has introduced a €5 charge for tourists entering the city, with similar charges being introduced in Tenerife.

Councillors in Galway City have also explored the possibility of a €2 tax on hotel rooms that would generate around €1.7 million for the city annually.

On The Pat Kenny Show today, Air & Travel editor Eoghan Corry said the number of free attractions available in Ireland is now “pretty limited”.

“The ship has long sailed where you could just breeze in and wander in for free,” he said.

“There are exceptions to that and most of them are associated with the Office of Public Works, free attractions, and they are diminishing.

“We are seeing more charges, but we’re seeing better facilities and managing of crowds at these sites.”

The Winter Solstice at Brú na Bóinne, Newgrange, County Meath, 14-12-2019. Image: John Lalor/RollingNews

The travel journalist said there are now charges in place for most of the country’s leading natural attractions.

“You pay for parking at the Cliffs of Moher, but you also pay a €12 admission charge,” he said.

“Newgrange will cost you €18, Westport House will cost you between €10 and €14.

“Then you have the ones that have had really serious investment to up their game and make them into international attractions, as opposed to just regional attractions.

“A good example is Avondale Beyond the Trees where you walk in through the treetops; there’s been great investment there and it’s a real day out for the kids at €16.”

Tourist charges

Mr Corry said tourist charges can be very controversial in areas where they are first introduced.

“It’s particularly controversial when you bring them in at a place where people have been walking through for generations, he said.

“There is a lot of concentration on access; we spent a generation closing off access and we’re now trying to reopen places with six major greenway initiatives in the country.

“If we are going to get people back on their feet, get their hiking boots on, get them back on the bicycles, everything they have access to will be free, at least in the initial phase.”

The National Gallery in Dublin Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Mr Corry said public institutions like national galleries and museums should remain free.

“Most European countries would have a tradition of free admission to the major public institutions,” he said.

“We’re talking about national museums, not just the one in Kildare Street but the one in Castlebar too, the National Gallery and all of those.

“These are state institutions and things like the National Museum should be kept free to get people in”.

The Irish tourism industry earned €5.3bn from overseas visitors last year.