What do tourists really think of Ireland? 

Just before the pandemic, inbound tourism was worth €7.3 billion to the Irish economy and supported some 285,000 jobs.

Speaking to Josh Crosbie for Moncrieff, Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions in Ireland CEO Catherine Flanagan said there are many reasons why foreign tourists decide to visit the Emerald Isle.

“The main reasons are the landscape, the culture, the heritage and the people,” she said.

“Visitor attractions really speak to those three motivators; the world is wide and people’s appetites for how they spend their leisure time on holidays is very varied.

“So, there’s interest out there for the whole range of visitor attractions and things to see and do.”

Tour buses and tourists at the Cliffs of Moher.

Ms Flanagan said no matter what the attraction, the same thing always helps to make it stand out to visitors.

“It’s really finding the story and delivering it in a way that’s really relatable to people,” she said.

“Key to it is identifying what your story is and then getting some really good advice on how to bring it all together to make it relatable to people.”

'Something authentic'

Someone who knows a thing or two about storytelling is Lorcan Collins of the 1916 Walking Tour in Dublin.

For 28 years, he has been pounding the streets of the capital, regaling locals and visitors alike with tales of the Easter Rising and Ireland’s long struggle for independence.

“People want to have something authentic - something very personal,” he said.

“You can spend millions and millions on a tourist attraction but unless you have the right people behind the desk or as the guides, you’re wasting your money.”

A Luas tram passes the GPO on Dublin's O'Connell Street in August 2020. Picture by: Andy Gibson / Alamy Stock Photo

Experience brings insight and Mr Collins is convinced there is a good reasons so many tourists visit Ireland.

“I think we have some of the best attractions in the entire world,” he said.

“We have such a wide variety of attractions here - be it an old book or one of the most famous beers in the world or be it the plethora of walking tours that are all around the city.

“If you can’t find something to do in Dublin, there’s something wrong with you.”

'Something to do for all people'

Out of the streets of Dublin, one British tourist told Newstalk he had been “taken by surprise” at just how “trendy” the capital is.

Another visitor from Germany said she thought there is a lot on offer in the city.

“We like the Irish pub culture,” she said.

“We are just here in Dublin for drinking beer and having fun.

“I think there are good attractions and I’m surprised that all the museums are admission free.

“There’s something to do for all people.”

Musicians playing in a pub in Killorglin, Co Kerry. Picture by: RollingNews.ie

Another woman said found the music scene an almost spiritual experience.

“There’s something about it that makes me feel like I was here in a past life,” she said.

Main image: Tourists in Dublin. Picture by: Sarah-Louise Burns / Alamy Stock Photo