IRELAND: British Tourists Spending In Ireland Goes Up 18%

Spending by British tourists visiting Ireland rose by 18 per cent in the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures.

The latest travel data shows that increasing numbers of European and non-EU tourists continue to visit Ireland, with spending on the rise among all nationalities.

Tourists visiting Ireland from Great Britain spent €33 million more between January and March 2016 than during the same period in 2015, marking a rise of 18.2 per cent.

British tourists spent €214 million in the first three months of this year compared to €181 million during the same period last year. Visitors from Great Britain spent a total of €971 million last year.

Spending by tourists from France, Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand also rose between January and March of this year, with North Americans spending €144 million, a rise of of €19 million on the same period last year.

The overall number of overseas trips to Ireland by non-residents rose by more than 15 per cent, with 1,785 million trips in the first three months of the year, up 254 million on last year.

The duration of visitors’ stay in Ireland remained the same as last year, with people opting to spend an average of 6.5 nights.

Ireland’s total tourism and travel earnings during the first three months of 2016 rose by 18.7 per cent on the same period last year, increasing from €780 million to €926 million.

Meanwhile, the number of Irish people travelling overseas increased by 13.1 per cent from 1.306 million between January and March 2015 to 1.478 million during the first three months of this year. The CSO figures also reveal Irish people are spending more nights abroad than last year.

2015 marked a record-breaking year for tourism with 8.6 million trips made to Ireland.

The latest travel data follows news earlier this week that Dublin is facing a shortage in visitor accommodation options over the next two years, limiting the potential for tourism growth in the longer term.

A report commissioned by Fáilte Ireland found that while additional bedrooms are due to be created for visitors, most will not be available until after 2018 or later.

The report also warned that most of the new accommodation stock was not guaranteed and said the capital was facing “a capacity challenge” over the next two years.

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of tourists visiting Dublin rose by 33 per cent while the availability of accommodation fell by 6 per cent, according to Fáilte Ireland.

German Passport Most Powerful, Afghan Least In The World

The Afghan passport has been identified as the least powerful in the world for the restrictions the countrymen face in terms of visa-free travel, an index by a London-based consulting firm showed on Friday.

The index found Germans held the most powerful passports in the world for third year in row in 2016, Tolo news reported on Friday.

A number of the European nations and the US, Japan and Canada closely follow Germany as the top nations holding the most powerful passports in the world.

The countries listed below Afghanistan were South Sudan and Palestinian territories, according to the index South Sudan being the youngest sovereign state in the world and Palestinian territories less diplomatically recognised by countries in the West.

The index update by Henley & Partners attempts to quantify the power of passports based on the judgements in the world by the amount of visa-free travel they entitle their owner to.

The update comes as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposed restrictions on Afghan nationals' visit who were heading towards Dubai for business and tourism.

The issue with the UAE emerged with the issuance of the new electronic Afghan passports amid concerns that the citizens of the other countries misused the Afghan passports.

However, the issue was later resolved as an agreement was reached between the two countries to improve the information quality of the newly issued e-passports.

Meanwhile, the demand by Afghans for passports has increased last year with the deteriorating security situation across the country, forcing many Afghans to travel abroad, specifically to the Western countries by risking their lives and travelling through dangerous routes.

IRAN: Visa Access Eased Except For US And UK

Iran is to issue visas for all foreign nationals upon their arrival at Iranian airports, except for those from Britain, the US and seven other countries. Visas in those cases must still be applied for in their home countries.

The move is aimed at promoting tourism with the numbers of foreign visiters having recently increased by over 12 percent .

The boost in tourists appears to have been triggered by the signing of a nuclear deal between Tehran and the Group 5+ (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) which came into force in January.

The seven other countries are thought to include Pakistan Canada Somalia Bangladesh Iraq Jordon Afghanistan but the list is yet to be confirmed.

IRELAND: Irish Tourism To Rise Due To Filming Star Wars Movie On Skellig Michael

Tourism in Ireland hit an all-time high this year and is set to feel the force even more with a new Star Wars campaign.

Over the past 12 months 7.9 million visitors from overseas have visited our shores adding €4.2billion in revenue to the economy.

And Tourism Ireland said it hopes the filming of the latest Star Wars movie on Skellig Michael, off the coast of Co Kerry, will help to draw even more in the coming months.

Boss Niall Gibbons added: “Following a record 2015, ambitious targets have been set for 2016
and beyond.

“This week’s release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens – which will feature Skellig Michael – also presents Tourism Ireland with a truly unique opportunity to highlight the South West and Ireland in 2016.”

Tourists from the US, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia have come to Ireland in record numbers this year.

There was also a 10% jump in visitors from Britain, our largest tourism market.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office showed an extra half a million holidaymakers came here in the first nine months of the year – a rise of 19%.

And more importantly for the economy, revenue from overseas visitors jumped by 18% during this period – an additional €500million compared to 2014.

Star Wars filming will help bring 8.2m tourists to Ireland in 2016.

Tourism Ireland said a number of its key promotions around the world including the 150th anniversary of the birth of WB Yeats and its Ireland Says “I do” campaign helped to increase numbers.

Mr Gibbons added: “Throughout 2015 Tourism Ireland undertook a packed programme of promotions to bring Ireland to the attention of travellers everywhere.

“A major focus of our activity was the Wild Atlantic Way. Other important themes have included ID2015 [Year of Irish Design] and Yeats2015.”