Europe generally is popular with American travelers, with many heading there each year. However, Ireland has come out tops again for the ninth consecutive year. The announcement was made at the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards at the US Museum of Natural History in New York.
Ireland top European destination for Americans
The green hills of Ireland have a major draw for Americans and it turns out the country is the top choice in Europe for US travelers. Alison Metcalfe, head of Tourism Ireland of North America had a beaming smile as she accepted the award. This is the ninth time that the destination has won the coveted prize. Speaking of the award, Metcalfe said they are delighted to come up tops for the ninth consecutive year, adding:
Travelers nowadays have tremendous choice, which makes it more important than ever for us to ensure Ireland stands out from other destinations – so this award is really good news, as we prepare to kick off another extensive and targeted promotional drive in 2023.
Easing of pandemic restrictions
Once Ireland began to ease the restrictions it had imposed to halt the spread of COVID-19, the tourism industry in Ireland quickly showed a significant improvement.
In fact, according to figures released by the Irish Tourism Industry (ITIC), Ireland saw a total of 900,000 international travelers in September 2022. Meanwhile, the figure is around 9 percent less when compared to figures for the same time last year.
Moreover, ITIC reported that despite the significant improvement in the tourism industry, figures continued to remain below pre-pandemic levels. This was prior to the spread of the novel coronavirus and its variants.
However, in September, the North American market reportedly contributed significantly to travel and tourism in Ireland. As noted by ITIC, the improvement in the tourism sector was also threatened by the energy crisis. It is also hit by the increase in cost inflation and supply constraints.
Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, CEO of ITIC said of the threats:
Members such as hotels and restaurants were reporting that energy bills had jumped to unsustainable and unprecedented levels, warning that profit margins have come under serious pressure.
US travelers and Ireland’s tourism industry
According to the report from Extra, the United States makes a significant contribution to Ireland’s tourism industry. In fact, a total of 1.7 million passengers from the US, delivered €1.6 billion ($1.7 billion) to the country’s economy in 2019.
Speaking of the latest award, the report represents what Travel Weekly readers consider the best in a total of 82 categories.
Moreover, as noted by Irish American, Metcalfe took the opportunity to thank the country’s travel trade partners across the United States. She said they continue to play a hugely important role in helping them promote the “island of Ireland,” adding:
I would also like to acknowledge the hugely important contribution of our tourism partners from the island of Ireland, who joined us on the ground in the US this year, helping to spread the word about why Ireland is such a great choice for a vacation. We look forward to working together again in 2023.
Meanwhile, Ireland beat out some strong contenders at the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards. Other European countries such as Italy, Greece, Spain, France, and Croatia have also been in competition for the Best Destination in Europe category.