Promising numbers point to reviving tourist industry
Ireland has long relied on tourism to bring in the coin when the economy is bad, and now it was revealed that the numbers visiting the island are, thankfully, on the up.
A survey by Fáilte Ireland has revealed that over half of all tourism businesses have seen a rise in profit this year, and the 54 percent total is a stark increase from the result in 2008, the year the economy began its downturn, when just eight percent of businesses said they were busy, Irish Echo reports.
Meanwhile, Ireland is also becoming a popular destination for gay and lesbian travelers, with 40 accommodation sites, including B&Bs and hotels, bring members of the gay travel group, Purple Roofs.
The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association has valued Ireland’s gay tourist industry at $400 million, and the Tourism Ireland body has stated that it is actively targeting gay travelers from overseas.
Photo By Hachiman (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons