I believe all major tourist sites in Ireland should provide free wi-fi internet access to visitors. With a relatively small investment, many visitors could be encouraged to share pictures of their visit to well known landmarks on social networking sites and websites all over the world, thereby increasing the exposure of the visitor attractions.
There is great merit in putting in place a national network of free Wi-Fi internet at popular tourist sites. Such an initiative would encourage visitors to upload photos to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in an instance. For a relatively small investment users could send pictures to family and friends, thereby promoting many popular tourist sites across the Country.
The Wi-Fi zones could be located in café areas, or in kiosks like the ones provided at airports, and would be relatively cheap to install and 
run. You can get internet access now for less than €50 a month, and I believe the value in promotion and marketing terms would be a multiple of this.
This isn’t simply about allowing tourists to send emails or surf the internet, it is also about making it easier for them to use smartphones, send pictures of their locations, access tourist information on-line and communicate positive messages about particular areas to a global audience.
Any proposal which can raise the profile of our tourist sites at present is worth looking at. Many European cities and places of tourist interest are looking to similar projects and we in Ireland should do the same. I have this week written to Minister Leo Varadkar asking him to look favourably on this initiative. (see below email)
Dear Minister Varadkar,
I wish to put forward the proposal that a Government led National Wi-Fi Scheme be introduced at all major Tourist sites in the Country.
With a relatively small investment, many visitors could be encouraged to share pictures of their visits to well known landmarks on social networking sites and websites all over the world, thereby increasing exposure to the visitor attractions. In recent times the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare have introduced a Free Wi-Fi Zone as part of their visitor experience which has proven to be a major success.
I believe there is serious merit in introducing a Government led national network of free Wi-Fi internet at popular tourist sites across the State. Such an initiative would encourage visitors to up-load photos to social networking sites like Facebook & Twitter in an instance. Given the fact that one can get access to the internet for less than €50 a month the value in promotion and marketing terms would be a multiple of this. Such Wi-Fi zones could be located in café areas or in kiosks like those provided at airports.
Such a Tourism initiative would make it easier for the visitor to use smartphones by enabling them to send pictures, access tourist information on-line and communicate positive messages about visitor attractions to a global audience.
I am asking you to consider this proposal as a means of raising the profile of our tourist sites. It’s my understanding that many European cities are looking to similar proposals, there’s no reason why we should not do the same here.
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Yours sincerely,
Joe Carey