10% rise in south-west tourism due to US visitors

The return of American visitors is giving a significant shot in the arm to tourism in the south-west, with trade reported to be up by about 10%.

Some people in the industry, including Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce president Johnny McGuire, believe the increase could be a spin-off from The Gathering, which helped draw many additional US visitors last year.

He also said the reduction in Vat for the tourism sector from 13.5% to 9% was not only helping the industry, but also creating thousands of jobs.

“We’re now able to give better value to customers, which is what the business is all about — value and service,’’ Mr McGuire said.

Also, fine weather during the summer tempted more Irish people, especially families, to holiday at home, but that particular business is now expected to diminish as schools reopen.

The Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) is also an additional attraction and hundreds of thousands of people in Scandinavia are set to read all about the western seaboard from leading Finnish travel blogger Satu Vänskä-Westgarth.

She is currently cycling the 2,500km WAW at the invitation of Tourism Ireland and described it as the challenge of her life.

Satu arrived in Kerry, on Friday, and will spend all this week travelling through Tralee, Dingle, Glenbeigh, Waterville and Kenmare.

She has already posted photos of some well-known landmarks such as Banna Beach, Killarney National Park and the Gap of Dunloe.

The blogger began her epic journey in Donegal, in early August, and aims to visit almost every corner of the West of Ireland, arriving in Kinsale, Co Cork, in early September.

She cycles an average of 100km per day five days per week, and is documenting her five-week journey, with daily updates on her Destination Unknown travel-blog, as well as on the popular online magazine, Skimbaco Lifestyle.

Blogs and social media are being used increasingly to promote tourism here. More than 100,000 Nordic people came to Ireland in the first six months of this year, according to CSO figures.

Meanwhile, a major US insurance industry conference will give a €9m cash injection to the country in 2015.

Dublin and Killarney have been selected to host the event, beating off competition from London and Edinburgh.

The event was brought to Ireland in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland’s New Corporate Meetings Fund and around 2,000 delegates will be staying for seven nights.