STRONG OUTLOOK FOR DUBLIN SAYS KENNY- 80% OF TOURISM ACCOMODATION PROVIDERS SEEING MORE TRADE THAN 2012

Posted on October 21, 2013 5:14 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Dublin Bay North Labour TD Sean Kenny has said that the outlook for tourism in Dublin is strong.

"The Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer is a survey of tourism businesses. It is intended to give insights into the performance of the tourism sector up to this point in time and also to forecast the performance of the tourism sector over the remainder of the season and coming year."

"I was very happy to see when reading the survey that there is a strong feeling that the tourism sector appears to be looking upwards and that expectations are positive for the rest of 2013. Businesses in the tourism sector are very strong in their feeling that better times are ahead after what has been a very tough time."

"I have no doubt that the spectacular spells of weather during June and July had a huge impact on the tourism sector. For the first time since the start of the economic crisis Ireland has been through, there was growth in all sectors - attractions, restaurants, with visitor numbers up for hotels and B&B's. In Dublin, 80% of accommodation providers said their trade was higher than in 2012, which is fantastic to see."

"I also noticed that the overseas market was very strong this year. British, French, German, and Americans all came to Ireland in increased numbers, and I have no doubt that The Gathering has had a positive impact on Ireland and the perception of the Country, with all regions benefitting from the campaign."

"I was pleased to see in the Budget that VAT on prices in the tourism sector remained at 9% and I have no doubt at all that this level of VAT has been a factor in stimulating tourism. We need to ensure that Ireland remains competitive and able to attract tourists to the country and the reduced VAT rate is doing that."