PUBLIC EXPENDITURE MINISTER Paschal Donohoe has said he takes it very seriously that Ireland’s hospitality sector should “do the right thing” by not price-gouging on hotel prices during Taylor Swift’s tour dates. 

Concerns have been raised today about rocketing hotel prices of up to €1,000 for dates the concerts are due to be held in Dublin next year.

Swift will play two shows at the Aviva Stadium on Friday 28 June and Saturday 29 June 29 2024.

Speaking to reporters at the launch of the public services performance report, Donohoe, who is an avid music fan, said:

“I saw Taylor Swift perform the last time she was here in Ireland and I have a pretty good idea of the level of joy and happiness her return in Ireland is going to cause for lots people who are looking forward to seeing her come back.

“At a time in which we may have missed out on Beyonce on her current tour, it’s great to see we’re going to get Taylor Swift.”

The minister said he was also aware of the “effect Beyonce had on inflation levels in other economies” during her tour in Europe this year.

“Actually, I take pretty seriously the need for the hospitality sector to do the right thing by lots of excited fans that are coming to see Taylor Swift play in Ireland.

“I’ve not held back in the past from behaviour that I’ve seen in the hospitality sector at a time in which we’re trying to get the sector back on its own two feet again.

“I think the biggest losers, if we see those few nights as an opportunity to make more money, the biggest losers in the long run from all of that will be our hotels,” he said. 

Last year, similar concerns were raised about hotel prices when Garth Brooks played Croke Park. 

Donohoe says he went to see Taylor Swift the last time she was here and he knows the joy it brings to fans that she’s returning.

But price gouging by hotels won’t do anything for the hospitality business, he says. pic.twitter.com/fHzdXnpuoT

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) June 21, 2023

Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan also spoke about his concerns on the issue, stating that any increase in prices for hotels for the concerts was “not right”.

Speaking on Newstalk, he said the overpricing was a big issue and caused “reputation damage” to the country and capital.

“It is a very hard thing to regulate. You can’t restrict if someone wants to sell something at the price, it is not easy to come in and say: ‘No, you can’t’.

“I think for the industry it is a real problem because very quickly you get the reputation of being extortionate and then you lose your business.

“So, I think for the tourism industry itself we have to think about how we try and avoid that,” he said.