NEW CSO statistics that show Dublin Airport had nearly 25 million passengers passing through in 2015 could be an indication of a long-term financial boost for the city, according to Dublin Chamber Of Commerce.
A total of 24,962,518 passengers passed through the airport last year, up 35 per cent from 2010 figures. The capital’s airport accounted for 83.7 per cent of all passengers that came to Ireland last year.
Dublin Chamber Of Commerce Spokesperson, Graeme McQueen, said the increase in arrivals is further proof of Dublin’s position as one of Europe’s fastest growing cities.
“Business is improving in the city,” McQueen told Northside People.
“We have visitors coming in and out of the city and then there’s the tourism as well. I think we really saw it last summer and the signs are we are going to beat last summer’s numbers this year.
“Just walking around Dublin at the moment, there’s people all over the place, which is fantastic to see, and I think the hotels are all kind of saying the same thing – that they’re more or less full right through the summer.”
The Irish economy is in a much better place now than during the recession, with national GDP increasing by 22 per cent since 2010.
McQueen points to Dublin’s mountainous and coatal terrain as a potential selling point for the city, as well as its status as a major metropolitan European destination.
“Dublin is our best known city abroad, it’s probably our trump card in terms of getting tourists in,” he added.
“The beauty of Dublin is that we have the mountains and the sea within half an hour of each other.
“Then you have a vibrant city right in the middle of that, so we have a lot to offer. You just have to look at the last weekend in May, with the big football match and two Bruce Springsteen concerts; it couldn’t have gone any better for the city.”
McQueen says that Dublin is performing very well as part of the Irish economy but warned that it must be prepared for continued growth by improving the housing sector, building more hotels and resolving public transport disputes, all of which are major inhibitors to continued growth.
REPORT: Jack O’Toole