Statistics show that despite 2016 being a record breaking year for tourist numbers in Ireland, there was an 8.1% decrease in the number of passengers on board cruise liners stopping at Irish ports.
According to The Times, the drop in cruise ship passenger numbers came despite there being an overall increase in the amount of vessels visiting Ireland.
Dublin played host to almost 110,000 visitors on board 109 vessels, which was an increase from 101,400 passengers on 93 ships in 2015. However, while vessel numbers remained the same in Cork at 57, passenger numbers dropped by 12.4% to just under 89,700.
A spokesperson for Fáilte Ireland stated: "The cruise ship sector is in growth mode so it is hard to understand why there has been a decrease." She added that early signs indicate that 2017 figures will show an increase on last year, with 127 cruise ships expected to stop at Dublin during the present season.
