Irish spas advised to widen the net for tourism following Brexit

Irish spas and salons have been advised to diversify their marketing activities to attract a wider variety of overseas visitors in the wake of the Brexit vote.

The latest figures from national tourism development authority Failte Ireland showed that while total overseas trips to Ireland were up 1% year on year in the first three months of 2017, the number of visitors from Great Britain was down by 6% and mainland European visitor numbers declined by 1%.

Meanwhile, North American visitors grew by 23% and overseas visitors from long haul areas increased by 16%. 

Fáilte Ireland chief executive Paul Kelly said, “In a post-Brexit environment, the tourism sector needs to maintain its competitive edge, particularly in terms of a weakening sterling which not only makes Ireland more expensive for British visitors but makes Britain a more competitive destination for those other overseas visitors we are seeking to bring here.”

He added, “Market diversification will also be important and tourism businesses will need to look to other international markets as well as fighting hard to continue to attract visitors from the UK. To that end, Fáilte Ireland will be working with Tourism Ireland and tourism businesses throughout the country to help them recalibrate and diversify to tap into growth in other markets.”