Tourism Ireland welcomes +9% growth in overseas visitors for November 2014-January 2015

Commenting on figures from the CSO for overseas visitors to Ireland between November 2014 and January 2015, Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “I am delighted to see an increase in overseas visitor numbers of+9% between November 2014 and January 2015, about 123,200 additional visitors when compared with the same three-month period last year. I am really pleased to see growth from all of our market areas around the world –including Britain, North America and Mainland Europe, all up +10%. Today’s figures represent a very positive start to 2015, as we roll out our promotional programme around the world. Our promotions will receive a tremendous boost next month, with our Global Greening initiative for St Patrick’s Day set to be even bigger and better than ever before. St Patrick’s Day traditionally marks the real start of the tourism season for us and we will be taking every opportunity to capitalise on Ireland’s heightened profile.

Niall Gibbons continued: “Looking to the year ahead, ambitious targets have been set to ensure that tourism growth continues. Following last year’s success, we will be pulling out all the stops this year, to keep the momentum going and ensure that 2015 is the best year ever for Irish tourism when we aim to welcome 7.74 million visitors – surpassing the previous record year of 2007. This year, we will continue to place a major focus on promoting the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route. We will also showcase the new Dublin Discovery Trail. This year marks 150 years since the birth of world-renowned Irish poet and Nobel laureate, WB Yeats; Tourism Ireland will promote Yeats 2015 – particularly to its ‘culturally curious’ audience. Tourism Ireland will also highlight ID2015, a showcase of the best of Irish design, raising the profile of Irish design and designers and showing how they reflect our unique culture, helping to give us ‘stand-out’ on the world stage.”