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IRELAND REMAINS among the friendliest and most welcoming countries in the world for foreign visitors, according to major new global research.
A study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has found that Ireland ranks 9th on a global list of the attitude of its native population to visitors.
On a scale of 1 to 7, where 7 is ‘very welcome’, a survey commissioned by the WEF found that the average Irish response gave a response of 6.6 when asked about their attitude to foreign visitors.
Though most countries offered an average response of 6.0 or higher, Ireland’s relatively high proportion of high responses means it is behind only eight other countries – and only four other European nations – in the warmth of its welcome.
Iceland was the most welcoming country, with an average response of 6.8, marginally ahead of New Zealand.
Bolivia ranked at the bottom, with a score of only 4.1, with Venezuela scoring 4.5 and Russia coming third-from-last at 5.0.
Aggregating scores across a wide variety of factors – including the strength of the cultural sphere, transport links, accommodation and accessibility – Ireland ranks 19th in the world, with a total average score of 5.01 out of 7.
While Ireland performs highly in terms of the education of its public, and its tourism infrastructure, its score falls back on cultural resources, price competitiveness and natural resources – though the later score is based on inflexible scores like the number of total known unique species and biome protection.
Switzerland tops the poll, with a score of 5.66, ahead of Germany and Austria on 5.39, and Spain and the UK on 5.38.
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Say what you want about Ireland but at least we never have a shutdown whenever someone decides to have a hissy fit.
@Ken Loughman: if you don’t count the North, sure.
@Wastrel: Point taken. I forgot about the fourth green field.
@Ken Loughman: there’s not a lot to shut down to be fair. Would we really notice if the civil service or HSE shut down. They can’t answer a phone on a good day
@Al Coholic: Ahem – you’re responding to a civil servant…
@Ken Loughman: Watch his thumbs up , skyrocket .
@Al Coholic: I’m pretty sure we’d notice if all the hospitals and schools shut down. Yes they may provide a crap service but at least they’re open.
@Ken Loughman: libraries close and the army reserve don’t get their uniforms dry cleaned. Stressful.
@Ken Loughman: try grab him at work
@ForeverFeel1ng: hospitals are not effected in a shutdown
As of now America debt is circa 18 trillion. One of these days that might be a reality.
Congress has raised or suspended the debt ceiling 79 times since 1960, and every president since Harry S. Truman has signed into law at least one such bill.
They can’t put if off forever.
@Tweed Cap:
They’ve been exporting there debt for decades (petrodollars).
When the market dries up…..
Only a matter of time
@Isthatright:
All of our major tax intake eggs are in the blue chip US dollar basket. Tis grand so it is.
@Tweed Cap: you’re mixing things up .this is a federal government budget shutdown and is nothing to do with raising the debt ceiling level, that stand-off comes up in March.
@Diaspora’d:
I know what it is. The point I’m making is related to a much bigger issue.
Trump has promised to tackle the debt ceiling. However unless he can find a few trillion down the back of the sofa he’s going to kick the can. They can’t ever pay what they owe. Ever.
@Tweed Cap: unlike any other country in the world, the US national debt is denominated in the same currency that its own federal reserve prints. The national debt is close to $20T the vast majority of which is owed to its own citizens and corporations in the form of national security and bonds, foreigners like the Chinese own a chunk (about $1.2T) but nothing close to the debt to US entities and the last thing the Chinese need is a run on the US dollar. As far as oil goes the US is now one of the largest world producers.
@Tweed Cap: the creditors of most sovereign debt have as much to lose if their debtors defaulted, do I can’t see it happening any time soon
The Journal has completely gone Trump batshit crazy , how many articles this week involving him , 24 articles over 5 days , as we still have an hour to go , that’s 5 per day .
@Ken Hayden: yeah because nobody ever talked about the president of the us before trump was elected
@Ken Hayden: Maybe if Trump stopped doing crazy stuff, like playing chicken with the American economy, there would be less stories you would have to comment on about there being too many Trump stories.
@Larry Doyle: You’re not going to believe this but when I tried to upvote that you got a -1 green thumb count…
@Jason: I have the screen shot.. something wiggy going on with the thumbs tonight.. When I post I get an automatic thumbs up instantly…
@Ken Hayden:
Gonna be interesting when Trump is vindicated by Mueller and the 8th Amendment referendum is over I mean what the hell will Journal writers talk about?
On a positive note maybe then they might focus their attention on domestic politics and put Fine Gael under the microscope.
@FrankDapavia: Don’t panic , by then we will be reading about the massive increase in crime in multicultural London , of gun battles between Swedish soldiers and migrant gangs in Malmo , of how the crime rate has shot up in Germany and is directly linked to the influx of non documented migrants .
But as the likes of that would influence public opinion on important issues like unvetted migration , the failure to integrate by certain cultures and the incompatibility of islamic ideology , don’t expect 5 articles a day on it .
@Jason: very strange…….
Furlough!
About 25% of the journals output ?
Trump has said that the buck stops with the president
@Havana na na na: Right now he’s trying to get Democrats on to make up the numbers for Republicans he can’t get to vote for it… while still blaming them for the shutdown and for “hurting the military”… all in week where him trying to use DACA to get funding for his wall has backfired into the Dems using DACA as the price of votes he should already have as leader of the GOP….. What a stable genius…
Any chance Trump’s gob will shut down?
Can we please stop the winning? So much winning: I’m sick of it.
@Alan Carmody: I presume you meant whining?
Trumps none existing brain shuts down.
@Dalya Al-Tulaihi: Non
Golf clubs.
Three fourths? Quarters!
Donald’s brain shuts down.
The government has shut down and Trump is in Mar A Lago hosting a $100,000 per couple fundraiser/anniversary party
Watch the dollar value turn to dust……….
Making America great again!
Another Trump f-up, 100% his fault. Let’s see who will he blame for all this…?
I don’t understand this policy of shut down. We never have a shut down, in fact, I don’t know if any other country that has a shut down. Seems bonkers to me. Reps have the majority in both houses and the presidency but yet there is a shut down and so many people are held hostage by politicians! What a crazy way to run a country.
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