Dublin hotel prices are among the highest in Europe.

FI chief Michael Cawley says that diverting tourists away from Dublin and toward other destinations in Ireland helps Ireland tourism in 3 ways:

"It relieves the pressure in Dublin, increases demand in certain regional locations where it is needed and, thirdly, in many cases provides a better experience for the consumer."

At first glance it seems strange that FI would be favoring some parts of Ireland over others - but Dublin hotel profits are up 9% now vs. 2016, and there's no end to demand: 5,382 additional rooms are in the pipeline to be added by 2020.