2015 to be biggest year for Ireland Tourism

It is hoped that 2015 will be a bonanza year for tourism in Ireland according to the country’s national body responsible for tourism – Tourism Ireland.  The national authority anticipates that as many as 7.74 million visitors will make the trip to Ireland in 2015 which will see a significant benefit to the local economy of approximately €4 billion ($5 billion).

If this figure was surpassed then the previous record set in 2007 would be broken and would mark a 6% growth on the total tourism figure for 2014, which is projected to reach 7.3 million visitors. Close to 14% of those enjoying a vacation in Ireland originated from North America.

This positive news for Irish tourism will have a two fold benefit to the country. The aim of Tourism Ireland is to achieve a target of 10 million visitors a year planning vacation packages to Ireland by 2025 which would greatly benefit the local economy to the tune of approximately $6 million and provide employment for approximately 250,000.

A key focus for Tourism Ireland in its aim to break the previous visitor record are the “best prospect” tourists, from North America, the UK and Europe, in addition to the ever expanding markets of India and China. This focus was reiterated at the launch of the tourist board’s 2015 marketing campaign in Dublin City.

A key component of the marketing strategy is the “Jump into Ireland” ad campaign which will be featured on TV and online across the world. Tourism Ireland aims to promote popular new tourist attractions, such as the popular tourist routes of the Wild Atlantic Way and the Dubline (Dublin Discovery Trail) as well as upcoming highlights, including 150 years since the birth of poet and Nobel laureate William Butler Yeats and the Irish Year of Design (ID2015), which will celebrate Irish design and designers.

Irish Minister for Tourism Paschal Donohue, who helped launch the 2015 campaign, stated:

“The international tourism marketplace is a competitive one, so it is crucial that we show no signs of complacency where the increase in our overseas visitor numbers is concerned.

“We must continue to identify the most effective ways to attract tourists to Ireland, so that we can support the jobs we have in the sector and help create new ones in the future.”