For many years Irish Distillers were the main whiskey producers in Ireland mostly at Midleton Distillery. They subsequently were taken over by Pernod Ricard and their global market share dramatically increased.
Shortly afterwards small distillers started opening in Ireland and started gaining a foothold in the Irish boutique whiskey market.
Then came the whiskey experience centres resulting in whiskey tourism. The larger distilleries opened visitor centres throughout the country. Such as the Jameson Heritage Centre in Midleton, Co Cork.
This has resulted in huge numbers of foreign visitors taking part in the whiskey experience.
In a recent article in the Irish Times, the rise in the number of visitors to these whiskey centres was revealed.
In 2017 the Irish whiskey distilleries see visitor numbers rise by 11%
The number of tourists that travelled to whiskey visitor centres last year stood at 814,000. The number is according to the Irish Whiskey Makers association.
Some 814,000 people visited the 12 distillery visitor centres on the island of Ireland in 2017, up from 733,000 the previous year.
The 12 centres, including the Slane Distillery in Meath and the Pearse Lyons distillery in Dublin which opened last year, Jameson Heritage Centre attracted the visitors mainly from the US, the UK, Germany, France and northern Europe. There was a comment from the Whiskey association.
“Continued double-digit growth proves that Irish whiskey tourism is a hot trend right now and an increasingly important part of Ireland’s tourism offer,” said William Lavelle, head of the Irish Whiskey Association.
“Whiskey tourism is delivering tourists, jobs and investment to local economies right across Ireland, from Dublin’s Liberties to rural communities,” he added.
In addition to the newly opened facilities this year, a number of new distillery visitor centres are expected to open this year in locations including Clonakilty and Drogheda.
Mr Lavelle took aim at the government’s alcohol bill which could restrict the promotion and advertising of alcohol. “Advertising of visitor centres could be severely constrained,” he said, noting that it was “yet another unintended consequence of this alcohol bill”.
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