They can’t get enough of the place.
In what is a huge endorsement for the tourism industry in Ireland, it has been revealed that the number of tourists visiting the country in 2016 to date has increased by 500,000 on the same period last year.
CSO figures quoted in today’s mid-year review of overseas tourism revealed a 13% increase in the number of overseas visitors to Ireland in 2016, with the main growth coming from tourists from Britain, North America and Mainland Europe.
In 2016 to date, there has been a 16% in increase in visitors from Britain, a 15% increase in visitors from North America and an 11% increase in visitors from mainland Europe, including a 28% increase in visitors from the Benelux countries this year alone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OtaPbPvohM
Global campaigns and a strong social media presence from Tourism Ireland, the introduction of a number of new air routes, positive publicity and screen tourism success from the likes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Game of Thrones have all been cited as reasons for what is a very significant increase in visitor numbers and a huge boost for tourism in this country.
Commenting on the figures, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, said: “The very strong growth in overseas visits to Ireland during the first half of 2016 is welcome news for all of us, and especially for communities across the country where tourism is a mainstay of the local economy and an important source of employment.
“The quality of our overseas marketing has helped to ensure that interest in visiting Ireland remains high among potential visitors in our top source markets, and continued investment by Government in tourism developments like the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Dublin – A Breath of Fresh Air is helping to capture the imagination of potential visitors across the world and to keep Ireland in the international spotlight.”
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