A new survey carried out by Europcar Ireland shows that 93% of tourists have visited a pub during their visit to Ireland.

Europcar’s research highlights that a massive 73% of overseas visitors said visiting a pub was an important part of exploring Irish culture. 43% of those surveyed stated that the warm and welcome atmosphere was the best part of their pub experience.

These key findings were part of Europcar Ireland’s 2017 Tourism Index, specifically identifying tourism trends. The research also revealed that 28% of tourists said that listening to Irish traditional music played a role in their pub experience. The drink of choice for visitors is stout, with 18% stating that a pint of the black stuff was their pub highlight.

The survey also indicated that more and more Irish people are choosing to stay-cation at home instead of jet setting. A huge increase of 53% of Irish people traveled around Ireland last year compared to 19% the previous year. These figures are only set to rise especially with the introduction of Ireland Ancient East by Failte Ireland this year, and the hugely popular Wild Atlantic Way route, more and more are choosing to explore what Ireland has to offer.

Following the results of the survey, Europcar Ireland’s managing director, Colm Menton said:

“We are delighted to launch the results of the third annual Europcar Ireland Tourism Index and share our insights into current tourist attitudes and trends in Ireland. 2017 was another great year for tourism in Ireland with an increase of 4.2% in overseas visitors to Ireland during the first half of last year compared to the same period in 2016 according to the CSO.

“Particularly significant last year was the rise in the number of Irish residents choosing to explore the country further with a stay-cation. It is very encouraging for those who service the tourism sector to see how much Ireland has to offer existing Irish nationals and residents, in addition to tourists visiting from abroad.”