SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 

Washington, D.C. 20549
 


FORM 6-K
 


Report of Foreign Private Issuer
 


Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 


For the month of August 2009 
 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
 
 

c/o Ryanair Ltd Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
 
 
Form 20-F..X.. Form 40-F.....
 
 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
 
 
Yes ..... No ..X..
 
 

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
 
 
 

 

CSO
confirms
continuing slump
 in visitor figures
since 
Irish Government's
 €10 tourist tax 
introduced
Ryanair calls on Government to scrap
 €10 tourist tax now
 
Ryanair
, the World's favourite airline, 
today (
6
th
 Aug 09
) welcomed the CSO June
 traffic figures which confirm that 
114
,000 
(15
%) 
fewer 
visitors 
travelled 
to Ireland
 
in June
 as the 
Government's €10
 tourist tax
 continues to devastate Irish tourism
. Ryanair
's traffic
 in June
 grew by 13
%
, more than
 
670
,000 
new 
passengers, which disproves the Governments false claim that that this decline is due to the recession.

Ryanair 
warned that unless the 
Irish Government's 
€10 tourist tax is scrapped, 
then 
the fall in 
Irish 
visitor numbers
 will worsen next winter
, as more flights
, routes
 and services are cut from 
Dublin
, 
Cork
 and 
Shannon Airports
.
 
Ryanair's 
Daniel de Carvalho
 said:
 
"
CSO figures 
show a 15%
 
drop in visitor numbers
 in June. The loss of these 114
,000 
visitors confirms
that the collapse in
 Irish tourism 
is accelerating as the
 Irish Government's €10 tourist
 tax makes 
Ireland
 an uncompetitive tourist market.
  

"
In recent months the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments have all scrapped tourist taxes and/or reduced airport charges to zero in order to stimulate tourism.
 Ryanair has expanded in these countries including our recent announcement of 43 new routes to/from 
Spain
 this winter.
  
The 
Irish 
Government cannot grow 
Irish
 tourism by taxing it
. We
 must scrap this stupid
 €10 tourist tax
 and start welcoming visitors
, not tax
ing
 them
"
.

Ends. 
    
    
    
    
    
                  
Thursday 6
th
 
August
 2009

For further information
Please contact:
    
    
Daniel de Carvalho
    
    
    
    
Pauline McAlester
Ryanair Ltd
    
    
    
    
            
Murray Consultants
Tel: +353-1-8121212
    
    
    
  
Tel. +353-1-4980300


 

SIGNATURES
 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
 
 

 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC




Date:  06 August 2009
 

 

By:___/s/ Juliusz Komorek____
   
 

Juliusz Komorek
 

Company Secretary