Hey guys
I am writing a grant application and I am trying to find some stats to include. I’ve tried Google obviously, but I cant find a good reference for the information.
Would anyone know where I can find the economic worth that Irish trad is to the Irish economy, in particular the tourist sector? Also how many people visit Ireland each year specifically to play or listen to Irish trad?
Thanks!
Bryan
“Also how many people visit Ireland each year specifically to play or listen to Irish trad?”
You could look at the number of overseas entrants to the Fleadh. But then they bring their families along, so multiply that by 4. And what if Granny wants to come too?
It’s a hard question!!!
Whatever number you get, please add one: I am planning to go fairly soon.
Try contacting travel agencies--they may distribute questionnaires asking for reasons/motivations for holiday decision making, and track preferences. Also, reach out to TourismIreland.com, or DiscoverIreland.ie. It would be in their interests to try and supply you with this information. Good luck!
“You could look at the number of overseas entrants to the Fleadh.”
I think that would give you a very low estimate. Many more people go to attend classes or just to play in or listen to sessions.
As regards those that do not necessarily travel to Ireland specifically for traditional music, you could find out about ticket sales for the staged music and dance shows put on for tourists.
It wasn’t by any means a serious suggestion. I was pointing out the difficulty of the question. 430,000 people in Derry in 2013 -- http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-23752870. What about Willie Week? Or Frankie Kennedy? Or any number of festivals…
“economic worth that Irish trad is to the Irish economy, in particular the tourist sector?”
Ring up Waltons and ask how many Guinness-logoed bodhrans they sold last year.
From that very article on the Fleadh: “We know from the lessons in Cavan that this number of people would have injected somewhere around £40m into the local economy in the last week.”
Hi Bryan!
You mean, people come over just to play music? Surely not! 😀
“Also how many people visit Ireland each year specifically to play or listen to Irish trad?”
Is this really the question you want to ask? It seems to me rather that there are many factors people consider in deciding where to go on holiday. And, ITM has an effect, largely on the margins, to influence peoples’ selection of Ireland as a destination. Maybe the question would be, if ITM did not exist, how many tourists would visit Ireland in a year, and then compare that number with the approximately 7 million that do visit. I expect the number of people who come only because of the music would be a relatively small part of the effect.
And, I am not really sure what it means to imagine that ITM did not exist. If ITM did not exist, does it mean the performers do not exist, or are they performing something else?
Actually, I think Bryan’s questions are sensible questions to ask. There are a great many people who travel to Ireland, not as they think to go on holiday as such, but just to play or otherwise be part of the music - counts for me in any case. I would imagine that it plays a significant part in the Irish economy, and it would be worth having figures on it. I think this is information that would be useful for the Irish government to know. However, I don’t have a source for any information on it.
Is there an Irish equivalent to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, and would they be interested in this sort of thing? If not, I think they should be.
I would go just to play music, but now that i’ve heard about how Ireland’s one of the most beautiful places and the world, with some of the friendliest people in the world, my descision is a bit swayed. And of course, i’ve always wanted to meet the ladies. So i’d actually be going for 40 reasons rather than just one.
Comhaltas‘ magazine ’Treoir‘ had an article entitled ’Big Boost for Tourism in Cultural Programme’ in a 2009 edition following the Fleadh in Tullamore. It gave a few facts and figures and I would think subsequent editions would have similar articles, but I stopped paying my subscription in 2009! Might be worth searching their website or contacting them as they probably know more than most about the economic benefits of ITM. Last time I went to the Lorient Festival (2009) there were 650,000 festival-goers and a report I read stated that some traders realise 50% of their annual turnover during the festival - you might find something relevant on Google.
Over the last 10 years myself and family have been to nearly every Irish music festival in Ireland and it was just for the music and workshops, as we have our own lovely scenery here on the Isle of Man!