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Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Tourists spent an average of €479 each in Ireland this year

The equivalent of 469 million pints in Temple Bar overall.

SPENDING BY OVERSEAS tourists hit just over €3.5 billion in 2014.

The number of overseas visitors grew by 9% to 7.3 million, the highest number since 2008, with all of Ireland’s four top market areas recording growth.

That figure marks a 9% increase, or almost €300 million more, compared to 2013.

For comparison, that is 469,798,657 pints of beer in Temple Bar.

On top of that, Irish air and sea carriers earned a further €1 billion from tourists.

Domestic demand in the tourism sector also picked up, with an estimated 6% increase in spending to €1.5 billion, with a further €300 million earned from visitors from Northern Ireland.

There was an increase of 8% in holiday visitors, those coming to visit friends and relatives (VFR) grew by a much stronger 14%, while business visits were up 4% with United States, Germany, France, and Canada all returning record visitor numbers.

North America and other long haul markets generated over two thirds of the increase in earnings in 2014.

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) says that they expect an extra 400,000 in 2015, but says

“Tourism has amply demonstrated its resilience, having weathered several difficult years and has proven its ability as an important indigenous export sector to deliver growth”, according to ITIC Chairman Paul Carty.

“Tourism businesses currently are estimated to employ in excess of 200,000 people, with 5,000 having been added in the past year, and the prospect of a further 8,000 jobs being created in 2015.”

Read: Bewley’s Hotels are about to disappear as a new Dublin hotel king is crowned

Read: 11 photos of life in North Korea, according to its swanky new tourism website

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19 Comments
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    Mute Dave Hogan
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:47 PM

    If I ear anything I will let them know.

    105
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    Mute Brian O Reilly
    Favourite Brian O Reilly
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:27 PM

    The victim’s new nickname is “18 Months cos he’s got an ear and a half”

    35
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    Mute Andy Dwyer
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:48 PM

    Mike Tyson filming the new Hangover movie.

    23
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    Mute winston smith
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:17 PM

    The suspect was a well-built, white man in his 30s, who is around 5ft 8in tall with short dark has, has a tattoo on his neck, and was wearing a tight t-shirt and was chewing on an ear lobe…can’t be too difficult to find.

    22
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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:08 PM

    At least he’s still got an ear for music.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:47 PM
    16
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    Mute SteveW
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:56 PM

    “The dance floor scuffle” sounds dangerous.

    14
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    Mute filthypete
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:48 PM

    @SteveW: “strictly” after dark

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    Mute Minom Pnom
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:12 PM

    Bud, belfastian nordie, lend me your ear

    11
    Lily
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    Mute Lily
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    Aug 21st 2017, 8:56 PM

    Dolph Lundgren in Universal Soldier had a fondness for ears. Often seen wearing a necklace made from them.

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    Mute Brendan McLaughlin
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    Aug 21st 2017, 10:25 PM

    Club is well known in Belfast as, “Sophie Ellis Baxter’s place”.
    Theres Murder on the Dance Floor.
    True!

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:42 PM

    @Brendan McLaughlin: v good

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    Mute Denis McCarthy
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    Aug 21st 2017, 10:49 PM

    If found and convicted, will he ordered to keep the peace?

    9
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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:42 PM

    @Denis McCarthy: the piece(of ear)

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    Mute john culhane
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:13 PM

    Tastes like chicken

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Aug 21st 2017, 9:00 PM

    A dance floor scuffle? Usually a cringe worthy, mortifying dance off solves that issue, but no, someone needs to take a chunk of ear off instead of just getting a kebab like they rest of us.

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    Mute DubKid
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:46 PM

    Must have been doing the haka

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 21st 2017, 11:40 PM

    Hungry devil

    2
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