BREXIT “ALREADY CONTRIBUTING TO TOURISM EXPENDITURE DECLINE”

Ongoing uncertainty about the nature of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union had already impacted on the tourism industry in Ireland through reduced visitor expenditure, it was claimed this week. In a statement, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland said that CSO figures had revealed that British tourism expenditure in Ireland continued to decrease as Brexit uncertainty intensified ahead of the October deadline. The statement added: “The results reveal an overall decline of 4.1% in British tourism expenditure for the first half of the year compared with 2018, which represents a total decline of €19 million. This decrease is of major concern for traders in the tourism industry, particularly those in the drinks and hospitality industry who rely on the UK as their most important…