Drop in UK visitors could cost pubs €70m this year

The drop in UK visitors could cost Ireland’s bars up to €70m this year, according to a report commissioned by the industry.

The report by Dublin City University (DCU) economist Anthony Foley on behalf of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland said British tourists spent €1.1bn last year, but that a drop of more than 6% in their numbers in the first seven months of 2017 would equate to more than €68m lost against last year.

Cork’s domestic and foreign tourism market was worth €784m, according to a breakdown by Mr Foley on each region of the country.

Cork has the highest number of licensed pubs with more than 940 — almost 200 more than Dublin. Cork has more than double the amount of pubs than Kerry, Galway or Tipperary.

There were 7,175 pubs and 1,020 hotel and other bars, of which about 700 were hotel bars, in 2016. There were also 2,582 restaurants with either full licences or wine licences.

The report said that 80% of all tourists cited the Irish pub as the most important factor influencing their decision to holiday here. That figured reached 88% when accounting for American tourists, it said. Half of all overseas visitors to Dublin visit the Guinness Storehouse, said Mr Foley, while overseas tourists spend 34% of their expenditure on food and drink.

The drinks industry group called on the Government to act now and include a 15% reduction in Ireland’s alcohol excise tax, the second highest in the EU, in this year’s Budget.

“The drinks industry is inextricably wound up in Ireland’s tourism product. With the pub the tourist’s top draw, it makes sense that the Government properly safeguards this essential network of businesses,” said secretary Donal O’Keeffe.