Over 1m people visited whiskey distilleries and brand homes in 2019, figures show

Over 1m people visited Irish whiskey distilleries and brand homes last year, the first time the landmark figure was ever reached.

The industry is seeing a boom in recent years with big increases in visitor numbers.

“In just four years, the total number of visitors to Irish whiskey distilleries and brand homes has grown by 54% - from 653,000 in 2015 to our 2019 record of 1.02m," said William Lavelle, who is the head of Drinks Ireland / Irish Whiskey Association who released the figures.

“Exceeding 1m visitors annually is a massive achievement and I congratulate the managers and staff of our 17 visitor attractions on achieving this milestone."

While tourists coming from North America remain the biggest market, there was a drop-off in cross Atlantic visitors last year.

However, this was off-set with an increase in Irish people visiting local whiskey distilleries.

“Future growth in visitor numbers to established Irish whiskey distilleries and brand homes will require a fresh approach to attracting visitors,” Mr Lavelle cautioned.

“Recognising the disappointing fall-off in visitors from North America, we will be seeking to prioritise our promotional activities in the US and Canada, working closely with our state tourism agencies. We will also continue to keep a close eye on the impact of Brexit on tourism figures.”