Looking like a record year for tourism says minister ring

THE Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael ring, has welcomed CSO data which shows that the number of overseas visits to Ireland in the first five months of 2015 increased by 12.1% compared to the same period last year.

Minister Ring, from the tourism hotspot that is Westport, said: “Today’s data confirms once again that the priority given by the government to the development of the tourism sector is paying strong economic dividends.

“Measures such as the 9% VAT rate, the reduced 0% air travel tax and Visa measures have combined with the hard work of tourism enterprises to deliver strong visitor numbers.

“Strong marketing campaigns by the tourism agencies during the remainder of 2015 will highlight the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Dublin to maintain the growth trend in tourism.”

Comparing the period to the end of May with the same period in 2014, the figures show that overall trips to Ireland were up by 12.1% to just over 3 million visits.

“Our objective now is to ensure that we sustain this growth,” said Minister Ring. “With all the tourism initiatives which we have in place and everyone working together, I am confident that we can sustain it.”