Fáilte Ireland have reported that St Patrick’s weekend proved to be a positive start to the tourism season for most Donegal hotels with strong levels in occupancy over the weekend as well as the period afterwards.
Most of the key hotels in Donegal were full with many reporting a significant increase in last year and optimistic levels of business for the upcoming Easter break.
Hotels in particular noticed a significant increase in the domestic market along with overseas visitors from the UK, Germany and the US.
To enhance the tourism sector Fáilte Ireland recently launched their brand new animated TV ad for the Discover Ireland home holidays campaign emphasising the great variety of festivals and events taking place during 2013 – the year of ‘The Gathering’ – all around Ireland. As the new TV campaign got underway, the national tourism development agency also introduced a revamped and upgraded ‘Discover Ireland’ App.
Commenting on the encouraging start to the tourism season, Martina Bromley, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Operations said the St Patrick’s weekend bounce bodes well for our expectations for The Gathering this year and hopefully will be start of a positive pattern this season.
“The performance of hotels in Donegal really confirms that events do drive business in Donegal. Our hotels are still managing the trick of providing good value with impressive quality and it is no wonder that so many of them fared well in terms of bednights over the weekend.
“The level of overseas business in the area over the last few days is also very encouraging. It is imperative now that everybody with a stake in tourism, keeps their eye on the prize and helps to drive this type of performance throughout the year. The latest Fáilte Ireland research shows that almost six out of ten (57%) Irish people plan on taking at least one break in Ireland this year, indicating that the ‘staycation’ trend remains at the high water mark it has reached over the last few years. ”