Mark O'Boyle of Failte

1. Tourism &
Festivals
A Statistical
Overview
Mark O’Boyle
Research Officer
Fáilte Ireland
TITLE SLIDE

2. Overview
Trends in tourism
Overseas
Domestic
Expectations for future
Role of festivals within tourism

3. Overseas
Visitors

4. Overseas Tourism Performance (000s) 2000-2010(p)
7,739
6,266
5,865
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 p)
CSO/NITB/Fáilte Ireland

5. Overseas Tourism Performance (000s) 2000-2010(p)
3,428
2,706
1,985
1,436
1,055
853
261
322
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 (p)
Britain Mainland Europe North America Other Areas
CSO/NITB/Fáilte Ireland

6. Overseas Performance January-August (000s) 2007-2011
2,562
1,785 1,932
1,513
752
640
210 240
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Britain Mainland Europe N.America Other Areas
CSO/NITB/Fáilte Ireland

7. Domestic Trips (mns) 2000-2010 (p)
8.3 8.3
7.9 8.0
7.2 7.3
6.7 7.0
6.3 6.5
5.5
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 (p)
CSO/Fáilte Ireland

8. Business Sentiment Index 2007-2011
(Base: All Tourism Businesses)
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
14% 15%
28%
45% 11% 39%
18%
25%
24% 31%
68% 74%
47%
31% 30%
Up Same Down
Base: Accommodation Providers (weighted to available bedspace) Source: Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometers

9. 2012 and Beyond
Our broad estimates for future growth (from February)….
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Out of State
Visitors* 7,219 6,400 6,800 7,100 7,300 7,600 7,900
Foreign Exchange
Revenue 3,879 3,500 3,800 4,000 4,200 4,500 4,700
Domestic Trips 8,340 8,300 8,200 8,100 8,200 8,300 8,400
Domestic Revenue 1,389 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,400 1,500 1,500
Total Visitors 15,559 14,700 15,000 15,200 15,500 15,900 16,300
Total Tourism
Earnings 5,268 4,800 5,100 5,300 5,600 6,000 6,200
…obviously subject to change (especially after the last two weeks!)
Source: Fáilte Ireland

10. Role of
Festivals
Overseas Visitors

11. Festivals Tourism 2010
252,000 overseas holidaymakers
N AmericaO Areas Britain
64,000 12,000 75,000
25% 5% 30%
M Europe
101,000
40%
Germany, 28,000 , 11%
France, 18,000, 7%
Italy, 13,000, 5%
CSO/NITB/Fáilte Ireland

12. Types of Festivals Attended(%)
(Base: All Festival-Goers)
Type of Festival %
Music 53
Arts 28
Heritage 17
Sport 3
Food 3
Garden 1
Agricultural 1
Educational <0.5
Other 5
Source: Survey of Overseas Travellers 2010

13. British Opinions on Festivals
We showed British consumers a picture of an Irish festival/event
• Bemused reaction to image,
• Festivals/events can be considered:
– A problem (no hotels/more
expensive).
– Busy streets/restaurants.
• Like to “stumble across” a festival
• Younger age groups more likely to
engage in ‘busier’ festivals and
recognise potential bonus;
• Empty Nesters prefer more sedate
version (heritage/literary festival).
• Appears more likely to influence
where to go (or avoid) in
Ireland, than choice of Ireland itself.
Behaviour & Attitudes/Fáilte Ireland

14. Festivals provide a very real tourism boost
% Overseas/non-local visitors
Influenced to visit 71%
Very/fairly
87%
satisfied*
Likely to revisit
80%
festival
Would
recommend 93%
Source: Fáilte Ireland combined survey of selected festivals 2010
*Includes local attendees.

15. Role of
Festivals
Domestic Market

16. Proportion of Festival-Goers
(Base: All Festival Attendees)
Based on research conducted at 20 festivals in 2010..
Overseas, 20
%
Local
Area, 51%
Elsewhere in
Ireland, 29%
Fitzpatrick’s Associates/Fáilte Ireland

17. Festival attendance
(Base: All Adults Aged 18+ - 1,002)
Festivals Definition Provided to
Respondents
Yes
40% By Festival I mean a series of
events free or otherwise that are
open to the public and that take
No
place over a set period of time as
60% part of one overall event. Some
examples include St Patricks
Festival, the Kilkenny Arts
Festival, Oxygen and the Dublin
theatre festival.
4 in 10 claim to attend festivals in Ireland.
Red C/Fáilte Ireland 2009

18. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
Research & Statistical Queries: Festivals Queries:
Mark O'Boyle, Policy & Futures, Fáilte Ireland, Rory McCarthy, Festivals & Events, Fáilte Ireland,
88-95 Amiens St., Dublin 1 88-95 Amiens St., Dublin 1
Tel: 01 884 7207 Tel: 01 884 7166
e-mail: mark.oboyle@failteireland.ie e-mail: rory.mccarthy@failteireland.ie