CIE Tours drivers do the country proud

Sir — Regarding Brendan O’Connor’s article which you featured on the front of last week’s Sunday Independent, it is really disappointing that you decided to use CIE Tours drivers and guides as an example of “fake sincerity” towards our North American tourists.

CIE Tours have been in business for 87 years and are the leaders in bringing tourists from North America to Ireland. Our quality system (which we implemented over 30 years ago) shows us on the 30,000+ detailed customer questionnaires which our customers complete at the end of their tour that our drivers and guides rate consistently at 98pc customer satisfaction.

Our guides are extremely professional, knowledgeable and proud of their country, its culture and heritage. This is what our customers are telling us, and have been for many years.

What you described in your article may have been the case 40 or 50 years ago, but I can assure you is not the case today.

It was disappointing for many of our American customers to read your article last Sunday morning, when they are bringing much-needed money and jobs to many rural parts of Ireland which do not have many other options other than tourism.

Stephen Cotter, Chief Operations Officer, CIE Tours International, Dublin 1 as ambassadors for this country.

Remember, Ireland’s tourism industry would be nothing if it wasn’t for the Americans who come to visit.

Please take this comment seriously. We are dedicated CIE Tour drivers and guides and we work hard on our tours to show Ireland in a beautiful, positive light to all our visitors no matter where in the world they are from. Murt O’Shea Driver and Tour Guide, CIE Tours International