The vulnerability of Irish business stems from their tendency to rely on single products or market characteristics for success, instead of developing a comprehensive marketing strategy Desk research was undertaken in order to develop a better understanding of services marketing and create a background of the tourism industry. The nature of services was identified,as well as the processof the development of Irish services,along with the increasing dependence on services for employment. The influence of consumerism and decision-making was also studied. Primary research focuses on the Hotel and Catering industry,with specific reference to the ways these two segments pursue their marketing strategies. It was found that the majority of problems confronting the two are as a result of the scale of operations vis.a highly fragmented industry which suffers from the lack of professional marketing skills. The main trade and professional associations do not appear to be meeting the needs of the typical small firms in hotel and catering in Dublin. It appears that the existing organisations have failed to fill this gap and it is recommended that a special initiative should be made to provide small firms in the hotel and catering industry with relevant professional marketing expertise.