The Irish Whiskey Association together with Michael Creed T.D. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine today launched the Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy which sets out how Ireland can become the world leader in whiskey tourism by 2030.
The strategy forecasts that the future of Irish whiskey tourism is dependent on a collaboration of local communities and state agencies supporting the growth of Irish whiskey distilleries and visitor centres all around the island.
It proposes innovative ideas including the establishment of an all-island whiskey trail that will attract a significant number of tourists to Ireland, similar to the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky, which attracts nearly a million tourists every year. It highlights the paramount importance of working with tourism bodies to develop the necessary infrastructure to facilitate this growth.
The strategy recommends the development of a hospitality embassy network connected to the Irish whiskey trail will make it easier for visitors to undertake specialist whiskey tours while extending the benefits of whiskey tourism to local businesses and cultural hubs around each distillery. The Scotch whisky embassy network for example has created 1,370 jobs and contributes over £43 million to the local economy.
With these support systems and solid foundation structures in place, it has been suggested that Ireland will be able to offer an even more distinctive all Ireland-whiskey product with global appeal, setting it on the path to become the world leader in whiskey tourism by 2030.
Speaking at the launch, Head of the Irish Whiskey Association, Miriam Mooney said, "What we’ve witnessed over the past few years truly is a renaissance in the industry. This strategy sets the conditions for the next step in growth for the industry."
She added, "In 2013, there were just 4 distilleries in Ireland, today there are 16 in production and 13 in planning in 18 counties across Ireland. With national and local government support, Irish whiskey tourism has the potential to grow from 653,277 visitors every year up to 1.9 million visitors by 2025, spending an estimated €1.3 billion every year."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
