Royal visit boost for Ireland

So far this month, searches on the Hotels.com UK website related to visiting Ireland have risen by 69 per cent for Dublin, 74 per cent for Cork, 191 per cent for Kildare and 80 per cent for Tipperary compared with the same period last year.

A spokesman for Hotels.com UK said this surge has sparked following the Queen’s visit to Ireland.

Ireland has also become more attractive due to a four per cent fall – to an average of £69 – in hotel room prices, Hotels.com said. The company’s survey showed the average cost of a room in Dublin has dipped seven per cent to £68 and the Irish capital is one of the 15 best-value cities for high-end accommodation, with four-star hotel rooms at £73 and five-star ones at £130.

Another boost for Ireland comes from the cutting of the VAT rate for the Irish tourism industry from 13.5 per cent to nine per cent to stimulate the economy.

Hotels.com UK and Ireland market management director Seamus MacCormaic said: “There is no doubt that Ireland currently offers excellent value to visitors and the high-profile visits of the Queen and President Obama have led to a boost in interest in the destination.”