- Minister Leo Varadkar.
The number of American visitors to Ireland's shores is falling, latest tourism figures have revealed.
The republic's Central Statistics Office has said that the number of North American visitors, from both the U.S. and Canada, fell by up to 5.4 percent between last November and January, this at a time when the country is relying heavily on its famous tourist industry to help relieve the overall faltering economy.
However, it was hoped that St. Patrick's Day celebrations across the U.S. could prompt more American travelers to consider Ireland as a holiday destination.
On the bright side, the figures have revealed more tourists are visiting Ireland from close by, with a 4.7 percent jump in those arriving from Britain for a break. With a British trend for cheaper holidays, allowing families to offset the credit crunch, Ireland is being seen as an increasingly popular option, due to relatively low travel costs in getting there.
Meanwhile, visitors from continental Europe were also on the up, by 3 percent.
Ireland's tourism minister welcomed the overall figures, stating: "Clearly the picture was mixed, with some markets performing better than others. A range of factors such as economic confidence, or uncertainty, in many of our source markets is evident in these figures, with visits from Germany up 16.3 percent, and Italy down five percent," said Minister Leo Varadkar.
Speaking ahead of the Irish national saint's day later this month, Tourism Ireland's
Tourism Ireland Chief Executive, Niall Gibbons said that what was the largest ever St. Patrick's day program around the world was intended "to bring a smile to the world and to convey the message that Ireland continues to offer a warm welcome, fun and spontaneity, alongside fantastic scenery and cultural activities."
