A 6.8% decline in British tourist numbers to Ireland has generated concern amongst the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland.
In a statement made by Donall O’Keeffe, Secretary of the DIGI, it was announced that the number of British visitors to Ireland in the period January-May of 2017 was down 105,100 from the previous year. O'Keeffe mentions that visitors from Great Britain reportedly make up 40% of all Irish tourism.
Along with a budget being made to alleviate, O'Keefe also mentions the importance of pub culture as a main interest for tourists.
“When faced with challenges like Brexit, we need to ensure we take action to protect, encourage and develop our tourism product and particularly those industries that drive it. We believe that the government needs to produce a Brexit Budget and pull together a coordinated Brexit strategy that protects jobs, encourages economic activity and mitigates the risk of a hard Brexit,” stated O'Keefe.
“We believe that government must look to reduce the excise tax on alcohol that are among the highest in the EU This would assist the drinks and hospitality industry to continue to innovate its offering and remain an attractive destination for our largest tourism market and guard against other overseas visitors choosing Britain over Ireland.”
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Patrick Lewers
