CSO meets with tourism industry over ‘confusing' visitor data
Central Statistics Office
(CSO) has held a series of meetings with tourism bodies over mounting concerns that declining inbound tourist data is out of kilter with industry experience.
Fáilte Ireland
became the latest organisation to seek a briefing from statisticians.
'We are talking to CSO. And we're talking to industry, we're talking to a number of independent research companies, trying to crash various data sources together to get the best possible picture as to how the season is trending,' said Paul Keeley, the tourism agency's director of regional development.
Inbound tourist numbers have declined consistently since last September, raising eyebrows among tourism operators who have not noticed a corresponding effect on business.
READ MORE
'Certainly the numbers as quoted by CSO jar with industry. It doesn't reflect the reality of what industry is reporting on the ground,' Mr Keeley said.
'The general sense around the country is that it's a little healthier than is reported by CSO at the moment.'
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He was addressing a recent meeting of Dublin city councillors where he said the results of a forthcoming Fáilte Ireland barometer would give a strong sense of industry sentiment for the first half of the year and expectations for the second.
The fall in visitor numbers peaked at a monthly year-on-year reduction of 30 per cent in February before improving slightly to minus 15 per cent in March. Data for April, due next week, will be carefully watched.
In a follow-up statement, Fáilte Ireland said it was analysing and comparing the March statistics with other data sources, including feedback from tourism businesses and industry stakeholders 'to get an accurate overview of sector performance'.
The CSO's Inbound Tourism series explores the number of visitors, where they come from, how many nights they stay and spending habits.
A spokeswoman said it has had ongoing engagement with stakeholders to consider the downward year-on-year trend but that it was 'confident' in its reporting.
More than 13,000 departing passengers are surveyed each month. Data is collected 'according to a consistent and robust methodology' and calibrated against passenger flow data provided by ports and airports.
'These methods, which underwent an independent review commissioned by external stakeholders in mid-2024, have been applied consistently since the survey was introduced in 2023,' the spokeswoman said.
'In line with CSO practices, our methods are subject to quality assurance in terms of sampling and data collection.'
At the same meeting of councillors, Martin Harte, chief executive of the Temple Bar Company said the overseas visitor numbers at the city's TradFest in January were up 8 per cent.
'I think there's probably a little bit of confusion over visitor numbers and their impact,' he said. 'Business appears to be the same if not slightly ahead of this time last year.'
Earlier this month both the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) and the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) were also due to meet the CSO. Both bodies said March's numbers did not match the hospitality business experience.
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Irish Times
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Irish Times
3 hours ago
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‘It tastes like an ashtray': Irish pubs lament the arrival of Chinese-brewed Guinness
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We only have three kegs left of the original but other bars have the new stuff and all the people come in and say the same things.' READ MORE Almost every time I have been with a group of Irish people in China in recent months, the subject of the new Guinness has come up and I have yet to meet anyone who likes it. Most describe it as having a burnt taste and the comparison with an ashtray is a common one. 'It's a different drink altogether I'd say. The current Guinness is lovely, creamy and tastes like a great pint of Guinness you'd get back home,' said one aficionado. 'The Chinese or alternative Guinness has a slight burnt taste and doesn't taste like the original Guinness. I'd go as far to say it tastes worse than a bad pint of Guinness back home.' There are dozens of Irish-themed bars across China but a smaller number of authentically Irish pubs, many of them owned or run by Irish people. Most depend on a mixture of Chinese customers and foreigners from many countries who come for the atmosphere, to watch a match or to take part in a quiz as well as for a drink. The Irish Embassy and consulates host events for Irish citizens but it is the GAA and the network of Irish pubs that provide the social backbone of the community The Irish community in China is small and much diminished since the coronavirus pandemic, probably numbering only a couple of thousand people. The Irish Embassy and consulates host events for Irish citizens but it is the GAA and the network of Irish pubs that provide the social backbone of the community. Like Irish pubs across the world, China's double as information hubs and informal support centres, often organising fundraising efforts to help Irish emigrants in distress. 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'Guinness is produced in numerous locations around the world, and all authorised breweries of Guinness Stout adhere to consistent production standards and specifications. We regularly monitor and engage with the trade via our appropriate channels,' said a spokeswoman. 'To meet growing market demand, starting from 2025, we began producing Guinness in China, allowing consumers greater convenience in enjoying a consistent supply of fresh Guinness beer. The brewers from the Guinness Irish Team at St James's Gate, Ireland, carefully oversee all aspects of locally brewed Guinness. The Guinness stout produced in China has the smooth taste, well-balanced flavour and consistent quality Guinness is renowned for all over the world and the Guinness stout brewed in China has received a full 10/10 Guinness Technical Flavour Score.' When I asked her if this would continue to be the only Guinness available in China, she simply repeated that they started brewing it in China this year, 'allowing consumers greater convenience in enjoying a consistent supply of fresh Guinness beer'. There's nothing we can do, and we just have to suck it up — Publican in China I put the same questions to Diageo and asked if they would supply the original Guinness to pubs in China while they were improving the locally brewed product. Conscious of the importance of the Irish diaspora experience in Guinness's marketing, I told them about the importance of the pubs to China's small and fragile Irish community. 'Alongside our third-party operators, we have an unwavering commitment to delivering the highest quality, taste and experience of our products across the globe,' said a spokeswoman. Or as one publican in southern China put it when he said he saw no point in complaining, 'there's nothing we can do, and we just have to suck it up'.
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
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