Locals 'make Ireland unique'

One of the aspects of Ireland that make it a unique destination is the personality of its local people, according to the national tourist board.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Ireland said the experience of meeting and speaking to locals makes the destination "that bit different from other countries".

She was commenting after the release of a new Lonely Planet guide to Ireland, which claims that the traditional image of the region is slowly disappearing as it becomes increasingly similar to other European destinations.

Offering some tips for travellers planning to visit the country, the spokeswoman said: "We always encourage people to stop and ask the locals, they're experts.

"It's like any city really, if you go into a city and you do tourist things, that's what you expect. Get off the beaten track and ask local people where they think you should go and restaurants that they recommend."

People planning trips to Dublin or Belfast over the coming months will be able to experience the cities' celebrations of Chinese New Year and St Patrick's Day.

Posted by Carrie, 21 January 2010 13:16

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