Government gathers the plaudits after strong tourism growth

Tourism figures have rebounded strongly in recent months, with the Government putting growth down to the success of its Gathering initiative.

There were more than 1.7m visitors to the country between March and May — an increase of almost one third compared with the same period in 2010.

However, the benefits of the money brought into the country are not being spread evenly. Fáilte Ireland said Dublin and other cities have been benefiting far more than rural destinations.