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The Irish public regards tourism as a key economic driver for the country, according to new research published today by business advisory firm BDO Ireland in partnership with Amárach Research.
Tourism seen as a key pillar of the Irish economy
When asked to identify the most important parts of Ireland’s economy, pharmaceuticals ranked first, followed by agriculture, the food sector and tourism.
The findings demonstrate that tourism is firmly viewed by the public as one of the important pillars of the Irish economy, with 44% of respondents ranking it within Ireland’s top three economic sectors. Interestingly, perceptions of tourism’s economic value rank lower amongst younger cohorts of the population.
The economic contribution of tourism is particularly clear at a local level. Just under half of respondents believe tourism is important to their local area, while 76% believe tourism brings benefits to their region or town.
Some 44% of respondents identify tourism’s economic benefits as the sector’s main contribution, with 15% highlighting the pride it generates in local attractions and 13% citing job creation as the biggest benefit to their area. The research reveals strong public support for the future growth of tourism, with half (50%) saying they would like to see a larger tourism industry in Ireland, versus 11% who indicated they want a smaller industry.
Price/ cost is a recurring theme. When asked if they could change one thing about Irish tourism, 29% of people said, “lower prices”.
The findings suggest that while the Irish public recognises the substantial economic and social contribution tourism makes, concerns around value for money could undermine the sector’s ability to realise its full potential.
Ireland’s ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ Reputation Remains
Despite some concerns over cost, Ireland’s traditional reputation for hospitality remains strong. More than half of respondents believe that Ireland continues to offer visitors the traditional ‘céad míle fáilte’. 67% believe Ireland offers a unique or authentic experience that cannot be found elsewhere.
The message from the Irish public is that people recognise tourism as an important contributor to our economy and to communities right across the country, and there is a strong appetite to see the sector grow. The 44% who identify economic benefits as tourism’s greatest contribution underlines the importance of the sector not just to tourism businesses themselves, but to the wider Irish economy and to towns and regions across the country.
What stands out most in this research is the immense public goodwill toward Ireland’s tourism sector. People right across the country actively want to see the industry grow, recognising the genuine economic vitality and local pride it brings to their communities. Beginning with our reputation for genuine hospitality and warmth, there is a remarkably strong, supportive foundation here for the sector to build on and thrive.
About BDO Ireland
BDO LLP operates in 19 offices across the UK and Ireland, employing 8,500 people. It has revenues of €1.2bn.
It provides Audit, Tax, Deals, and Consulting, Risk & Outsourcing (CR&O) services predominantly to the entrepreneurial, ambitious and growing mid-sized businesses that are driving growth in the UK and Ireland economies.
BDO also has strong expertise in sports advisory, supporting public and private sector stakeholders across the sports ecosystem. This includes assessing the economic impact of major sporting events and sports organisations, developing business cases for investment in sports infrastructure, and providing strategy and business advisory services. BDO also advises individual sports professionals on relevant commercial and financial considerations.
BDO LLP is the UK and Ireland member firm of the BDO Global network.
BDO Global
The BDO international network provides business advisory services in 169 countries and territories, with 95,000 people working out of 870 offices worldwide. It has revenues of US$11bn.
Amárach Research
Amárach Research is an independently owned Irish market research company. For the past three decades it has conducted research on many sectors of Irish economy and society.
Content published in Business Post.