Thanks to its economic plight, Irish tourism experienced its toughest year in over a decade in 2010 with overseas visitor numbers plummeting back to 1998 levels. But the good news is that the country’s tourist board, Fáilte Ireland, believes 2011 will be a year of recovery, as long as its biggest overseas market ‑ Britain ‑ can deliver more tourists.
Tourism earnings in 2010 are estimated to have fallen to €4.6 billion, a drop of 13% compared to 2009. This was on the back of total overseas visitors declining by 15% to 5.6 million, with British visitors down by even more, at -18%.
Looking at prospects for 2011, Fáilte Ireland’s CEO, Shaun Quinn, emphasises that they will hinge “more than ever on the performance of our overseas markets as the home market has effectively peaked. The home market will come under pressure as household incomes tighten,” he says. “For many businesses the real game will be off shore. Developing more business in overseas markets is not just a good strategy ‑ it’s becoming the only show in town. It is in Britain, representing 45% of our overseas visitors, where we need to turn the tide but where we face the greatest challenge.”
Fáilte Ireland has pinpointed opportunities around London and the southeast of England “where prospects are much stronger” and where research from 2010 indicates “a strong attachment, goodwill towards, and keen interest in, Ireland” that could be tapped.
Quinn says that positive factors are coming into play. “Our falling prices, the recent cut in the air tax, the rise in VAT in the UK and the growing strength of sterling to the euro all make Ireland an even more attractive and accessible option for potential British visitors,” he says.
