THE Guinness Storehouse has retained its position as Ireland’s number one visitor attraction with over 1.7 million guests passing through its doors in 2019.
Entering into its 20th year, the Guinness Storehouse also continues to build local appeal, with Irish visitors soaring in 2019 with a record breaking 32 per cent increase to the home of the black stuff.
The strong visitor number announcement comes ahead of the opening of the Gravity Bar expansion, set to take place in spring this year, which will see the iconic bar double in size, presenting expanded panoramic views over Dublin.
Tourism is one of Ireland's most important economic sectors, with the industry responsible for earnings of €8.7 billion, supporting 260,000 jobs.
In 2019, guests from mainland Europe made up the majority of visitors to the Guinness Storehouse, with 51 per cent of all guests travelling from the continent.
Visitor numbers across continental Europe increased year on year from countries such as Italy (+19 per cent), France (+7 per cent) and Germany (+3 per cent).
The USA also showed a strong performance making up over 25 per cent of all visitors to the Guinness Storehouse this year.
Commenting on the visitor numbers, Paul Carty, Managing Director of the Guinness Storehouse, said: “2019 was another incredibly successful year for the Guinness Storehouse.
“We kicked off the year by celebrating a momentous milestone in our history by welcoming our 20 millionth visitor in April.
“We are very proud of the success of the Guinness Storehouse over the 20 years and of the commitment of our own team and all those across the industry who work hard to promote Dublin and Ireland as a world-class destination.”
The Guinness Storehouse served over 1.1 million pints of Guinness ast year and certified 450,000 pint pouring experts.
Head of Attractions at Fáilte Ireland, Mary Stack, said: “The Guinness Storehouse is a world-class visitor attraction which has continuously evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of overseas visitors.
“This is reflected in the fact that visitor numbers to the Storehouse have significantly increased in recent years. Attractions like this, which are immersive and modern, are critical in ensuring that Ireland remains ahead of the game in attracting visitors from around the globe.”
As well as its plan to double the Gravity Bar in size, the Guinness Storehouse announced an enhanced brewery tour.
Since first opening its doors to the public in 2000, the Guinness Storehouse has made a significant contribution to Ireland’s tourism sector and economy.
Housed in the heart of St James’s Gate, Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse was born of an ambitious plan to build a brand new ‘Home of Guinness’ through a €42 million redevelopment of the 113-year-old former Guinness fermentation plant.