- Britain up 9.3pc
- North America up 11.5pc
- Mainland Europe up 6.5pc
- “Other” long-haul markets up 8.7pc
Tourism Ireland and minister Shane Ross commented on final figures for 2016 from the Central Statistics Office showing that spending in Ireland by overseas visitors for 2016 rose by 8.8pc compared with 2015, excluding air and sea fares.
The number of trips to Ireland by holidaymakers is up 8.4pc. Spending by holidaymakers was up 9.3pc. Bednights rose 8.4pc to 66.4m.
The number of trips abroad by Irish residents continued to grow by 6.4pc 2016, up to 7.405m at exactly the same rate of increase as 2015 (2010 was down 7.6pc, 2011 down 3.9pc, 2012 up 0.5pc, 2013 down 0.3pc, and 2014 up 3pc).. trip duration was also unchanged at 7.6 nights. Expenditure was up 8.8pc to €5.1m. For Oct-Dec trips were up 10.0pc, duration fell slightly from 6.1 nights to 6.0 nights. Expenditure rose 7.2pc.
Tourism Minister Shane Ross said: “The figures published today confirm once again that 2016 was a record year for Irish tourism. Previous information from the CSO had shown that was a record breaking 9.584m overseas visits to Ireland in 2016 and today’s data confirms that this translated into overseas visitor revenue of over €4.5bn This is an important contribution to the Irish economy and represents an increase of 8.8pc on 2015.”
But he added that “the challenge for all of us now is to sustain this growth. There is no room for complacency, particularly given the highly competitive nature of the global travel industry and the uncertainty that exists in some markets.”
Junior Minister Patrick O’Donovan said: “The growth in visitor numbers and associated revenue has helped to create jobs with the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey recently showing a growth of 3.1pc in employment in the ‘Accommodation and Food Service Activities’ sector in the final quarter of 2016 when compared with the same period in 2015.”
Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Our focus now is very much on 2017. Our aim is to grow overseas tourism revenue this year by 4.5pc, to €5.7bn, for the island of Ireland. Tourism Ireland will create ‘stand out’ for Ireland around the world in 2017, highlighting iconic experiences like the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, Titanic Belfast and the Causeway Coastal Route. We will also promote Dublin and Belfast, in particular for shoulder and off-peak travel. Screen tourism will remain a priority, as we continue to capitalise on our connections with Star Wars and Game of Thrones.”
