Fáilte Ireland has published its preliminary Tourism Facts 2016 - a compilation of key findings on tourism performance in Ireland last year. With data from a number of sources, the report provides details on where tourists came from, where they went in Ireland, why overseas tourists came to the country, where they stayed and what they did while they were here.
Sources consulted included the Central Statistics Office, the Northern Ireland Research and Statistics Agency and Fáilte Ireland's own surveys of overseas and domestic tourists, along with inputs from accommodation providers and visitor attractions.
The report reveals that Britain remains Ireland's biggest source market for overseas tourists, representing 41% of all such visits, with Mainland Europe and North America accounting for 36% and 17% of international volume, respectively. However, when it comes to holidays, Mainland Europe generates 39% of Ireland's overseas holidaymakers, followed by Britain at 32% and North America at 24%. 2016 also represented the first time that Ireland broke the one million barrier for North American holidaymakers.
Fáilte Ireland’s head of research Caeman Wall commented, “This comprehensive reference guide for tourism in Ireland provides us with the necessary insights for planning and developing future tourism. For example, this year’s Tourism Facts 2016 tells us that while Britain remains our largest source market for overseas tourism, Mainland Europe is delivering more holidaymakers. Furthermore, for the first time ever, Ireland has broken the 1 million barrier for North American holidaymakers. While we have known for some time that 2016 was a record year for tourism, today’s report adds more layers to our understanding of that performance.”
