imigrants driving tourists away

gary9112

was talking to some american tourists the other day and they could not believe the amount of non irish in the country they were in shock, first off the hotel they were staying in was full of polish who could not speak proper english, they also said the waiting staff could not even get there orders right cause they could not speak good english and finally when they went to a local pub they found foreign bartenders which they told me was not what they had expected, they had the idea of walking into a irish pub and a irish bartender welcoming them and talking in his irish accent and telling them some stories with the gift of the gap, but know that was not what they encountered what they did however was some guy who could bearly speak english unpolite and rude. So in conclusion im getting the idea that with all these immigrants in the tourism industry that tourism will fall because of it, i mean why would tourists come to ireland if all they find is eastern europeans working everywhere if they wanted that they would of went to eastern europe. they came to meet irish people.

silverharp

Although the observations are probably correct, the conclusion is not, Ireland should focus on European tourism anyway and Europeans are less interested in the blarney that the tourist board pump out.

gary9112

gary9112 wrote:

i mean why would tourists come to ireland if all they find is eastern europeans working everywhere if they wanted that they would of went to eastern europe. they came to meet irish people.

I don't think so...

http://www.cso.ie/statistics/vistoirenumoseasvisits.htm

Hagar

Statistics are notoriously unreliable, no offence.

I wonder how many of the immigrants put themselves down as "Holiday" or "Visiting Family"? We seem to count tourists coming into the country, but does anyone count them going back out?

Now that would be an interesting statistic.;)

Karl Hungus

gary9112 wrote:

they had the idea of walking into a irish pub and a irish bartender welcoming them and talking in his irish accent and telling them some stories with the gift of the gap

I would imagine that the people who expected that kind of thing would've been very dissapointed even if the bar staff were Irish.

Hagar

^ Sadly correct.

Karl Hungus

Hagar wrote:

^ Sadly correct.

Sadly is definetly the word for it.

Hell, I'd love if any pub you went into you'd have friendly barmen up for a chat, but they're few and far between. Infact, I can only think of one fellow offhand who'd regail you with a little story or a joke here and there. Infact, it's hard to find any barman who'd even be friendly enough to say hello, or even talk to you at all. Most barmen, no matter what their nationality are too busy on their toes filling as many pints as possible in the hustle and bustle, and probably working hard as they can just so he can keep his overpriced apartment.

Such is the rat-race society we live in, and the charming publician, who entertains his patrons with his charisma seems to have been phased out.

Gurgle

Hagar wrote:

I wonder how many of the immigrants put themselves down as "Holiday" or "Visiting Family"? We seem to count tourists coming into the country, but does anyone count them going back out?

So of the 6.9 million overseas visits last year, you think a significant proportion of them stayed here?

Just what I was going to say Gurgle...


As for pubs and chatting,I don't know where you drink Karl,But in ALL 14 pubs in Arklow, you would get a decent chat.

Most of them are largely staffed with Irish people.

As for country pubs,I havent been in one yet that hasnt had a friendly Barman/woman.

In one of the locals,the other night the pub owner said to me.. if you don't count that change a bit quicker, the price of this pint is going up!
He then launched into a chat about the price of cattle

gandalf

Not sure this is a politics thread and tbh if you are worried about low numbers of tourists from the US you should really be more concerned about the strenght of the Euro than the fact your barman might be called Ivan :rolleyes:

rediguana

Ireland isn't set up for the benefit of misty-eyed tourists. If they're thinking twice about coming again, I can think of lots of reasons why, and none of them involving the blameless Poles.

Hagar

Gurgle wrote:

So of the 6.9 million overseas visits last year, you think a significant proportion of them stayed here?

Did I say that? Always seek the extreme, that's Boards for ye.:rolleyes:


I would guess though that some put down "Holiday" when they had no intention of going back, much like many an Irishman did in the US.

/Edit I also never questioned their right to be here, just said that statistics can be misleading.

Karl Hungus

Tristrame wrote:

As for pubs and chatting,I don't know where you drink Karl,But in ALL 14 pubs in Arklow, you would get a decent chat.

Arklow? I don't even know where that is. I'm in Galway City though, so maybe that has something to do with it.

You know, thinking about it, one of the few bar staff in one of my favourite pubs who's generally friendly and up for a bit of a chat is a Polish girl. So I'd say that in my experience the real issue is nothing to do with immigrants.

Hagar wrote:

Did I say that? Always seek the extreme, that's Boards for ye.:rolleyes:


I would guess though that some put down "Holiday" when they had no intention of going back, much like many an Irishman did in the US.

/Edit I also never questioned their right to be here, just said that statistics can be misleading.

Oh give over Hagar, your thinly vieled racism is about as obvious as a Star of David on a concentration camp prisoner. Admit it, you think the ones who stay here longer than their holiday period should be rounded up and put in the giant ovens!

Hagar

Jeez Karl, that's bad calling me a racist. I most certainly am not.
FFS I'm an immigrant myself living in France, why would I want to promote any racist attitude to non-nationals? I'm dissapointed that you think that of me.

Gurgle

Hagar wrote:

Did I say that? Always seek the extreme, that's Boards for ye.:rolleyes:

Did I say you said that?
Always on the defensive, thats Boards for you;)

Hagar wrote:

I would guess though that some put down "Holiday" when they had no intention of going back, much like many an Irishman did in the US.

/Edit I also never questioned their right to be here, just said that statistics can be misleading.

Oh I've no doubt about that whatsoever. Easiest way to get into a country where you're not allowed to stay. But you're talking about a maximum of a few tens of thousands of people.

Of course statistics can be misleading, those 6.9 million will include Irish people who work in England and come home every weekend, people who drop over to Dublin from Paris for a meeting every tuesday afternoon, Immigrants/Asylum seekers who didn't leave and all kinds of other non-tourists. But all these would have also been included in previous years.

Point is, except for the 2001 terrorist hysteria, the number is going up, not down as inferred by the OP.

gandalf

Karl Hungus wrote:

Oh give over Hagar, your thinly vieled racism is about as obvious as a Star of David on a concentration camp prisoner. Admit it, you think the ones who stay here longer than their holiday period should be rounded up and put in the giant ovens!

While I am sure you meant that in jest Karl I have to ban you for it because it is a clear cut personal insult. 1 week to adjust your humour chip !!!

Hagar

Gurgle wrote:

Did I say you said that?
Always on the defensive, thats Boards for you;)

Touché.

I would agree that tourism going up and I would think more are coming from Europe now compared to dependance of US traffic a few years ago. In that respect the 2001 did us some long term good as the Yanks will probably come back here anyway as I think we are seen as a "safe" place to visit.

SeanW

rediguana wrote:

Ireland isn't set up for the benefit of misty-eyed tourists. If they're thinking twice about coming again, I can think of lots of reasons why, and none of them involving the blameless Poles.

I agree with this: Ireland has changed in many ways and the influx of Polish people working in shops pubs etc isn't really a huge part of it.

gandalf

gandalf wrote:

Not sure this is a politics thread and tbh if you are worried about low numbers of tourists from the US you should really be more concerned about the strenght of the Euro than the fact your barman might be called Ivan :rolleyes:

Agreed on all points.
Moved to Afterhours

Boston

Hagar wrote:

Statistics are notoriously unreliable, no offence.

I wonder how many of the immigrants put themselves down as "Holiday" or "Visiting Family"? We seem to count tourists coming into the country, but does anyone count them going back out?

I don't see why they would do that, sicne their legal.

Hagar

LiouVille wrote:

I don't see why they would do that, sicne their legal.

I imagine only visitors/immigrants from EU nations would automatically be legal, people from other countries might just tick the holiday to simplify travel.

I know I have done it many times in the past going to Britain, in the past. If you ticked the business box there were many more questions to be answered. Nature of the business, name of company being visited, address of company, company phone number, name of the business contact, ad infinitum. All in all it was quicker to tick "holiday" and not worry how messed up their tourism stats got.

Terry

imigrants driving tourists away...

in their taxis.

boom boom.


karl hungus not banned from AH because this isn't politics and i got the joke.

Hagar

julep wrote:

karl hungus not banned from AH because this isn't politics and i got the joke.

Glad to hear it. I'm embarassed to admit I didn't immediately realise it was a joke. But all is well, no harm no foul or whatever that trendy American saying is.

blorg

gary9112 wrote:

was talking to some american tourists the other day and they could not believe the amount of non irish in the country they were in shock, first off the hotel they were staying in was full of polish who could not speak proper english, they also said the waiting staff could not even get there orders right cause they could not speak good english and finally when they went to a local pub they found foreign bartenders which they told me was not what they had expected, they had the idea of walking into a irish pub and a irish bartender welcoming them and talking in his irish accent and telling them some stories with the gift of the gap, but know that was not what they encountered what they did however was some guy who could bearly speak english unpolite and rude. So in conclusion im getting the idea that with all these immigrants in the tourism industry that tourism will fall because of it, i mean why would tourists come to ireland if all they find is eastern Europeans working everywhere if they wanted that they would of went to eastern europe. they came to meet irish people.

Might want to work on your English yourself there (their) mate. And get your shift key fixed while you're (your) at it. As it is I could (teddy) bearly understand your post.

the_syco

TBH, down the country you'd get the "friendly chat", but not in Dublin, but some of the yanks except the entire country to be like that.

What I find funny, is that aside from the native Indians, everyone there (in America) is somehow from a different country, thus they can be classed as the children of immirgrants.

Meh. I'll wait till Paddy's day, when they come over in their droves, expecting to see sheep in the pubs, and everyone to be driving tractors... in Dublin:rolleyes:

faceman

gary9112 wrote:

....they came to meet irish people.

They must have came while we were all on holiday?

Catari Jaguar

Dem lousy immigents! *It's a landslide! YES on 24!*

MojoMaker

gary9112 wrote:

I could not believe the amount of non irish in the country I was in shock, first off the hotel I was staying in was full of polish who could not speak proper english, the waiting staff could not even get my order right cause they could not speak good english and finally when they went to a local pub I found foreign bartenders which was not what I had expected, I had the idea of walking into a irish pub and a irish bartender welcoming me and talking in his irish accent and telling me some stories with the gift of the gap, but know that was not what I encountered what I did however was some guy who could bearly speak english unpolite and rude. So in conclusion im getting the idea that with all these immigrants in the tourism industry that tourism will fall because of it, i mean why would tourists come to ireland if all they find is eastern europeans working everywhere if they wanted that they would of went to eastern europe. they came to meet irish people.

Reads much more truthfully this way...

_Kaiser_

Ah once again too many people on Boards are falling over themselves to be PC as ever lest someone pull out the racism card. :rolleyes:

Firstly, let me say that I fully welcome those people who come here to work and
contribute productively to the economy and society in general.

However, I do agree that people working in customer facing roles (be it a burger joint, bank, pub or callcentre) should be able to speak the language to a sufficent degree as to be able to interact smoothly with the general public.

There's nothing racist about that.. if you go to France, or Germany you'd be expected to learn the local language as well. It's called meeting the needs of your job/customers... not to mention your own as a resident in that country!

wow sierra

the_syco wrote:

TBH, down the country you'd get the "friendly chat", but not in Dublin, but some of the yanks except the entire country to be like that.

What I find funny, is that aside from the native Indians, everyone there (in America) is somehow from a different country, thus they can be classed as the children of immirgrants.

Meh. I'll wait till Paddy's day, when they come over in their droves, expecting to see sheep in the pubs, and everyone to be driving tractors... in Dublin:rolleyes:

Agree with all of that, and I think most of the immigrant workers are grand - considering the only language I can speak apart from English is Gaeilge, I think they are doing great. Some of the native Irish bar staff they replaced were unfriendly and inefficient. But I also feel its more of a Trendy Tourist pubs V ordinary pubs - lots of local/suburban pubs in Dublin would have the same atmosphere/ friendly chat as country pubs.

rediguana

I'm one of the least PC people I know (don't make me tell my Ipswich substitutes joke), I just think it's stretching things to blame immigrants for the woes of the tourist industry.