A number of reports and stats were published this week in the tourism, retail, and seafood sectors. We've the key stats to know from each report.
13.7% increase in overseas visits to Ireland in first 5 months of 2016
The number of overseas trips to Ireland by non-residents in the first five months of the year was up by 13.7% to just over 3.46 million visits. Irish residents' trips overseas during the same period increased by 7.8%.
Visits from North America was up by 18.3%, and from Mainland Europe were up by 11.5%. Great Britain registered an increase of 15.7% with 1.54 million visits.
Annual results for 2015, released in March, show:
- 13.7% increase in total overseas visits in 2015, which equates to 8.643 million overseas trips
- Overseas travellers to Ireland spent a total of 61 million nights in the country in 2015, compared to 55 million nights the previous year, an increase of 11.6%
- Overseas travel to Ireland generated earnings of €5,530 million in 2015 compared to €4,714 million in 2014
Read the latest CSO Overseas Travel report.
Check out Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport's press release welcoming the latest stats.
Retail sales up 8.1% on an annual basis
There was an annual increase of 8.1% in the volume of retail sales in May 2016. The figure increased by 0.7% in May 2016 compared with April 2016.
The sectors with the largest month on month volume increases were Hardware, Paints & Glass (14.3%), Books, Newspapers and Stationery (10.1%) and Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (9.7%).
The sectors with the largest monthly decreases were Electrical Goods (1.9%), Motor Trades (1.6%) and Food Beverages & Tobacco (1.2%).
Read the CSO Retail Sales Index report.
€25m in retail sales from Food Academy companies in 2016
In other news, retail sales from companies supported by the Food Academy programme are expected to top €25m in 2016.
The Food Academy programme is a partnership initiative between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) Network, and works with and nurtures small food businesses from start up to getting their products onto supermarket shelves.
281 Food Academy producers are currently selling their products in SuperValu stores across Ireland, with these producers supporting more than 900 jobs nationally.
Over 8,850 people directly employed in Ireland's seafood sector
Bord Iascaigh Mhara this week published a report on the value of Ireland's seafood sector, which contributes over €1 billion in GDP and employs over 11,000 people, directly and indirectly, primarily in Ireland's peripheral coastal communities.
Key performance figures from the ‘Business of Seafood’ report include:
- 8,858 people are directly employed in the Irish Seafood Sector (this rises to 11,000 to include indirect jobs)
- Irish Seafood Exports are up 7% to €564 million
- Irish Seafood domestic consumption is up 6% to €350 million
- €344 million worth of fish are landed into our fishing ports
- €148 million worth of fish and shellfish are farmed around our coast
Read Bord Iascaigh Mhara's Business of Seafood – a snapshot of Ireland’s Seafood Sector report.