The number of visitors to Irish whiskey distilleries has shown a 11% increase last year, according to new recent figures published by the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA).
The report noted that visitor numbers has risen year-on-year and reached 814,000 in 2017, as opposed to 733,000 the previous year, up from 653,000 in 2015.
“Continued double-digit growth proves that Irish whiskey tourism is a hot trend right now and an increasingly important part of Ireland’s tourism offer. Whiskey tourism is delivering tourists, jobs and investment to local economies right across Ireland, from Dublin’s Liberties to rural communities.” William Lavelle, Head of the Irish Whiskey Association stated.
Currently, a majority of visitors to whiskey distilleries in Ireland, who learn about the 'grain-to-glass' production of Irish whiskey, reportedly come from the US, UK, Germany, France and Northern Europe.
Further Growth
Looking ahead, IWA outlined its plans to develop and launch a major initiative to promote and further grow Irish whiskey tourism this year.
This initiative was proposed in the Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy, which set a target of '1.9 million visitors by 2025'.
Lavelle explained: “Irish whiskey remains the fastest growing spirits category in the world. But whiskey consumers, both domestically and globally, are interested in knowing more about the origin and authenticity of the spirit.”
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
