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Varadkar welcomes positive tourism start for The Gathering

Overseas visitor numbers finished strongly in 2012 and have got off to a positive start in 2013 with a 4.4% increase from all market areas between November and January.

Minister for Transport, Transport & Sport Leo Varadkar has welcomed this positive result for Irish tourism at

the end of 2012 and for the start of the Gathering year.

"I am very pleased to see such a positive start to The Gathering, with the positive performance at the end of last year continuing into 2013. There was particularly strong growth from North America and other long-haul markets between November and January, and continued growth from Mainland Europe," Minister Varadkar said.

 

"These figures also confirm that visitor numbers from Britain have stabilised, which should provide a solid foundation for renewed growth in this market. The tourism agencies are already rolling out the recommendations of the Tourism Recovery Taskforce which is designed to restore visitor numbers from Britain."

Comparing the three-month period (November 2012–January 2013) with the same period in 2011-2012:

  • Overall trips to Ireland were up by 4.4%;

  • North America was up by 12.2%;

  • Visits from Mainland Europe were up by 5.2%, with Scandinavia (+26%), Italy (+11.8%) and Spain (+5.6%) performing particularly well;

  • Visits from the rest of the world increased by 16.1%, with Australia and New Zealand growing by 30.4%;

  • Great Britain registered an increase of 0.6% in visits.

"The Gathering has got off to a robust start and the upcoming St Patrick’s Festival will give us an opportunity to make further tourism gains. We are promoting the St Patrick’s Festival in all our key markets, including the international ‘greening’ of famous landmarks and iconic sites around the world. I am confident we can build on this momentum during the year."

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring added that: "The response to the Gathering from the public and tourism stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive. Following a successful start to The Gathering at the New Year’s Eve Festival in Dublin, we expect a strong influx of visitors for our exciting programme of Gatherings taking place across the country, throughout the year. With St Patrick’s Week coming soon, Fáilte Ireland and The Gathering Ireland team are working harder than ever with local partners to deliver our greatest ever national celebration.

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