RESEARCH:A SHARP decline in tourism spending due to the recession is revealed in new figures published by Fáilte Ireland today.
But other research commiss- ioned by the tourism body has found that, when they do come here, the vast majority of tourists are very happy with what they find.
The Tourism Facts 2009research shows that B&Bs had an average occupancy rate of 31 per cent last year, compared with more than 35 per cent in 2008. Guest-house occupancy rates fell from more than 49 per cent to 44.4 per cent. The percentage of hostel beds sold fell by 23 per cent.
And while the focus has been on the downturn in the hotel sector, hotels had the best occupancy rates of all accommodation providers. Some 55 per cent of hotel rooms were occupied last year, compared with 58 per cent in 2008.
Many hotels cut their room prices and introduced special offers last year in a bid to attract more business.
The figures highlight the well-documented drop in tourism numbers. An estimated 6.56 million tourists came here last year, compared with 7.43 million in 2008. British tourists accounted for the largest drop in numbers with 3.02 million visiting last year compared with 3.58 million in 2008.
However, there was an increase in the number of holidaymakers coming from countries such as Italy, Spain and Belgium, albeit from a smaller base.
The Tourism Facts 2009research shows that the typical holidaymaker visiting Ireland last year was an under 45-year-old white-collar worker on a first visit here. Some 40 per cent of tourists were part of a couple, while one in five travelled alone.
One-third of overseas tourists stayed with friends or relatives last year, compared with 29 per cent in 2008. Food and drink accounted for the biggest spend of tourists (36 per cent of spend), followed by bed and board (28 per cent) and shopping (16 per cent).
Some 84 per cent of overseas tourists used the internet to book or purchase some element of their Irish holiday, while 97 per cent bought their air or sea travel tickets online. Just one in five tourists said they used a travel agent to plan their holiday.
Meanwhile, preliminary figures from Fáilte Ireland’s annual visitor attitudes survey show a 1 per cent increase in visitor satisfaction levels.
Some 95 per cent of overseas holidaymakers said their holiday either matched or exceeded their expectations last year. And 84 per cent said they would definitely recommend Ireland as a holiday destination, compared with 81 per cent in 2008. A further 15 per cent said they would recommend Ireland but with some reservations.
The drawbacks they cited included high prices and the unpredictable weather.
A Fáilte Ireland spokesman said these satisfaction ratings were extremely encouraging, but the tourism sector could not be complacent as it entered into what would be another very challenging season.
