FDBusiness.com

The latest tourism numbers for Irish whiskey distilleries with visitor experiences were announced recently at a special all-island industry gathering to mark the 700-year anniversary of the first known written account of distillation in Ireland. The reference is contained in the ancient vellum manuscript the Red Book of Ossory produced in Kilkenny in Latin and Old French in 1324. The Red Book also contains the first written mention of aqua vitae, which became uisce beatha in Irish, and when anglicised, became whiskey.

This year’s 700-year anniversary is being regarded as a momentous occasion by Ireland’s whiskey distilleries, brand homes and visitor experiences, which are celebrating it under the industry-wide banner of “700 Years of Irish Whiskey Tradition”.

The new whiskey tourism figures published by the Irish Whiskey Association ─ the representative body for the all-island Irish whiskey industry and the host of the event in Roe & Co Distillery in Dublin’s Liberties ─ show that whiskey distilleries around the island of Ireland attracted over 800,000 tourism visitors in the year from June 2023 to June 2024, with the majority coming from overseas.

The main markets for whiskey distillery visitors during this period include the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France and Ireland, with an uptick reported in visitors from Eastern Europe as well as South and East Asia.

According to the Irish Whiskey Association, the average spend of distillery visitors has also increased – with the latest 800,000 unique visitors having contributed many millions more to local economies. The Association says the age profile of visitors is now skewing far younger, and there is greater gender balance among enthusiasts for distillery experiences.

There are more than 28 Irish whiskey visitor experiences which have come together to form the IrishWhiskey360° island-wide trail launched by the Irish Whiskey Association. 75% of these distilleries are located outside the urban centres of Dublin and Belfast, and many are in rural areas dotted around the island of Ireland.

The IrishWhiskey360° trail connects visitors with whiskey destinations in each tourism region on the island, with each one having its own unique and distinct origin story, setting, sense of place and offering. They range from the only working distillery on the Ring of Kerry to a converted gaol block in North Belfast, and from the oldest licensed distillery in the world on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland to one inspired by tales of mystery, mayhem and magic in the historic Blackpitts area in Dublin.

Announcing the new whiskey tourism numbers, director of the Irish Whiskey Association Eoin Ó Catháin said: “In this historic year for the industry, we are delighted to bring our distilleries, brands and stakeholders together to celebrate whiskey experiences on the island of Ireland. The latest distillery visitor numbers show that whiskey tourism is continuing to grow in importance as a valuable contributor to Ireland’s experience economy, as well as to local economies. Premium whiskey production is, of course, at the heart of what our world-class distilleries do. However, many also encompass tourism, hospitality, retail, food, entertainment and events, thereby playing a valuable role in supporting the sustainability of local economies, both directly and indirectly through their supply chains, and also through the value added to local economies by distillery visitor spend. We wish them continued success today and for the next 700 years.”

Commenting on the relevance of distillery experiences to tourism, CEO of Tourism Ireland Alice Mansergh said: “The island of Ireland has a remarkable distilling heritage. Dating back to 1324, the Red Book of Ossory contains the first written reference to ‘aqua vitae’ or ‘uisce beatha’ or ‘whiskey’ on this island, and it will shortly go on show in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny. We welcome the Irish Whiskey Association’s analysis showing 800,000 visitors attended distillery experiences over the past year. Interest continues to grow, with +20% increase in online searches for ‘Irish Whiskey Tours’ from key markets such as the US, Germany and Great Britain year over year in 2024.”

Alice Mansergh continued: “This year’s 700-year anniversary is a unique moment to mark the craft, history, local ingredients, landscapes and people that have shaped the Irish whiskey story through the ages. With over 28 distillery experiences welcoming visitors island-wide, there is a real geographic spread to this topic of interest, from Dingle to Donegal, from Bushmills to Belfast, Wicklow to Westmeath and beyond. At Tourism Ireland, we will be marking 700 years of heritage with a campaign sharing cultural distillery experiences with relevant online audiences across 14 markets, all with a view to encouraging visitors to our island across regions and seasons.”

You can view the island-wide Irish whiskey destinations and experiences on the IrishWhiskey360° website at www.irishwhiskey360.com.