Ireland

2017 Tourism Trends: Ireland

Have you ever dreamed of experiencing Irish culture firsthand? If so, you’re in good company. In a recent Travel Pulse article, Donald Wood reports that tourism in Ireland has grown this year. Wood cites an Irish Times article in which statistics from the Central Statistics Office of Ireland show that the country welcomed 943,300 visitors this May, as well as a 3% increase in visitors from January to May compared to those months in 2016. Markets of growing interest to the Irish tourism industry are North America, Europe, and Australia.

2017 has seen a 23% rise in visitor numbers from North America—a priority market for holiday travelers and tourist spending—per Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland. On the other hand, Tourism Ireland shares that visits from British tourists have decreased by 6.8%, which is partially attributed to Britain’s choice to leave the European Union. According to its CEO, Tourism Ireland is aiming current marketing efforts toward tourists wishing to learn more about Irish culture. Wherever visitors come from, tourism is vital to Ireland’s economy—as about 281,000 residents of the Republic of Ireland make their living from tourist spending. So if visiting Ireland is on your wish list, now may be the time to make that wish come true.