VISIITOR NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DECLINE

CSO figures released today show that visitor numbers continue to decline. Trips for holiday, leisure and recreation purposes fell by 20% during April-June compared with the same period last year. Visits from the USA & Canada fell by 29% in the same period. From personal experience, this trend is mirrored elsewhere. I was in Venice last week and was amazed how quiet St Mark's Square was. Prior to that, while in Barcelona, I paid only €57 for a room in a four star hotel. Like Ireland, many Euro zone countries are also witnessing falling tourist numbers and revenue.