Tourist industry optimism ‘at five-year high’

Tourism chiefs have claimed optimism in the industry about business is at a five-year high in 2013, despite mixed results for last year.

Fáilte Ireland said there was a general belief that there would be strong growth in overall tourism numbers in the year ahead, buoyed by improved marketing and The Gathering, which aims to attract 325,000 additional visitors from overseas.

In its annual review, published yesterday, Fáilte Ireland said tourism revenue rose 2%, or €100m, to €4bn in 2012, while 5,000 jobs were added to bring employment in the sector to 185,000.