Some 54 per cent of people who visit Ireland do so for the pubs, according to a survey carried out by a pub advocacy group.
The new survey, carried out for the 'Support Your Local' campaign found that visiting Irish pubs was the second most cited reason for coming to Ireland, just behind 'culture and heritage', for which 57 per cent of respondents said was the main reason.
The survey also reinforced the perception of Ireland being a friendly and welcoming country, as 90 per cent of respondents said the people enhanced their holiday, while three in five said it was the people that made Ireland different to other countries.
The survey was commissioned by Support Your Local, a campaign set up by a group of publicans with support from the various representative bodies, to represent the "the 92,000 jobs the drinks industry in Ireland upholds."
The campaign is attempting to highlight the importance of pubs to the economy, including tourism, and to reduce excise on alcohol in Ireland, which is one of the highest in Europe.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, campaign manager Bart Storan said that pubs are a part of the Irish visitor experience. "In every city, town and village, pubs are part of the unique fabric of the community, supporting jobs, catalysing spending, and sharing our story around the world."
Marketing firm iReach conducted the study, with a sample of 500 tourists from the USA, Germany, Canada, France and the UK, who visited or had plans to visit Ireland soon.
