Summer 2015 Was A Stellar Season For Irish Hotels And Restaurants

The outlook is positive for tourism in Ireland.  The Irish hospitality and tourism industry enjoyed a welcome boost this summer, according to the latest figures from Fáilte Ireland. Four in five hotels in Ireland reported an increase in business, followed by 69 per cent of guesthouses. Also showing signs of improvement is the B&B sector, with seven out of ten operators saying that their business is up so far this year. Irish restaurants enjoyed a busy summer, with 58 per cent of eateries reporting an increase in business. International visitors played a big role in the boost, with 72 per cent of restauranteurs reporting more business from overseas visitors so far in 2015. Nearly eight out of ten tourist attractions have also seen a rise in the number of visitors welcomed through their doors in 2015. 85 per cent of registered growth in visitors came from abroad. The success of the season can be attributed to repeat visitors and favourable exchange rates against the dollar and the sterling. According to the Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer, on the basis of current sentiment within the sector, tourism operators are indicating a ‘feel-good’ factor at levels not seen since the days of the Celtic Tiger. Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn said: “Tourism appears now to be firing on all pistons with every sector of the industry now enjoying greater growth. We have been particularly blessed this year by favourable currency rates but these aren’t steadfast and it will be important for tourism businesses to ensure they are not stranded if that tide goes out." He added: "The visitor experience of value for money, especially given that repeat visitors are an important part of our customer base, will be crucial to providing for tourism growth which is ever-green rather than cyclical.” Here's to continued growth for the Irish tourism industry well into 2016. To view the full report, click here.