420,000 overseas tourists visited Limerick in 2013, spending €135 million in the region and, according to a new report, local pubs played a major role in bringing them here.
‘The Contribution of the Drinks Industry to Tourism’, a study by Economist Tony Foley, has concluded that the hospitality sector is a significant component of the tourism infrastructure in Limerick, with 367 pubs, 21 hotel bars and 81 fully licenced and wine licenced restaurants.
The report, commissioned for the ‘Support Your Local’ campaign, makes out that the Irish pub was the number one tourism element influencing the decision of overseas visitors to come to Ireland. It also revealed that overseas visitors to Ireland spend 21 per cent of their holiday expenditure on food and drink, with 29 per cent of overseas visitors using pubs in the Shannon Corridor for meals.
The ‘Support Your Local’ campaign is now calling for excise tax on alcohol to be cut, stating that these taxes are damaging our competitiveness and costing jobs.
Mr Foley maintains that Ireland’s world renowned pubs are one of our top tourist draws, with many offering food and entertainment specifically for tourists.
According to Paul Keeley, director of business development with Fáilte Ireland, 2015 is shaping up to be a record year for Irish tourism with in the region of 7.7 million overseas visitors.
“We need everybody in the sector working together to make these attractions work. Pubs and the Irish drink sector have a role to play here to make the visitor experiences on the ground authentic, compelling and memorable,” said Mr Keller.
