Galway has been named as one of the top destinations for Irish American tourists, with the Galway Arts Festival cited as one of the great symbols of modern Ireland, according to a recent survey.
The Irish Diaspora survey carried out by Amárach Research in conjuction with Irishcentral.com looked at Irish American attitudes and was published to coincide with St Patrick’s Day. The results of the survey, which was conducted among 1,100 Irish Americans and Irish people living in the US, suggest that tourism is likely to receive a huge boost as US visitors look to the west as their holiday destination of choice this year, with even more hoping to make the trip in 2012.
The results have found that physical ties to Ireland are very strong, with seven in 10 (70 per cent ) respondents having visited in the past at some point, with the number of trips by each averaging out at five. Just one in five said they plan to visit this year, however, two thirds (65 per cent ) said they would be likely to visit Ireland in 2012 and an impressive 55 per cent would pick Galway as their preferred destination.
Other popular spots were Dublin (65 per cent ), Cork (44 per cent ), and Donegal (31 per cent ). The place least likely to receive a visit from those who participated in the survey was Westmeath, which scored just one per cent.
Other findings showed: 22 per cent of respondents plan to visit this year and that three in five (59 per cent ) will stay between one and two weeks; visitors to Ireland this year will be slightly more likely to fall into the 35 - 44 age category (26 per cent ); the main motivations for visiting Ireland are opportunities to explore the country and see the sights (70 per cent ); and visit relatives (51 per cent ), and almost two in four (38 per cent ) will take the opportunity to trace their ancestry while visiting.
There were many reasons given for Galway’s popularity but when asked what they believed was most symbolic of modern Ireland, a third of respondents said Riverdance while 23 per cent chose the Galway Arts Festival, proving how well known internationally the annual event is and the important role it plays in attracting visitors to the city and county.
Regarding Irish culture, the key areas that attract Irish Americans are: Music (98 per cent ); film and documentary (89 per cent ); literature (88 per cent ); dance (85 per cent ); photography (80 per cent ); and theatre (76 per cent ). Close to three in five (56 per cent ) indulge their interest in Irish music two to three times per month and almost one quarter (23 per cent ) indulge their interest in Irish literature with the same level of frequency.
Galway also got the thumbs up when it came to property investment. One in three of respondents said they have an interest in buying in Ireland, that this interest will peak by 2019, and that 15 per cent would choose Galway to househunt. Other locations that Irish Americans would ideally like to purchase in were Kerry (11 per cent ), and Clare, Donegal, and Dublin (nine per cent each ). A very strong proportion of retirees (76 per cent ) would consider spending part of the year in Ireland, showing that there are certainly opportunities for reasonable long-term property rentals.
The survey showed that just three per cent of Irish Americans/Irish living in the US own property here, however an additional 33 per cent would be interested in purchasing. The key motivation for more that half (53 per cent ) would be the prospect of buying a personal or family holiday home in Ireland.
