Back in the 70's I had a job selling equipment to hotels. I visited a hotel in Tramore with a view to selling and spoke to its owner. The conversation got around to advertising the Irish hotel industry abroad. At the time Bord Fáilte were advertising heavily in the USA and Europe. "Not much good to us" said the hotel owner,"if the people from Waterford City (six miles distant and where BF did no advertising) don't come here, we're doomed." At the same time the UK visitors declined drastically helped by the situation in the North.
Let's not dismiss the obvious and grab whatever we can from the home market. Whether we like it or not, the Irish are a spending nation (Don't we know!). One thing is certain the USA and Europe will not get us out of the mess we're in, we have to do it ourselves Stupid. Let's not knock the Irish products and services and our ability to get out of bad situations.