Guinness Storehouse on target to welcome 20 millionth visitor in 2019
The Guinness Storehouse retains its position as Ireland’s number one international visitor attraction by surpassing all previous records, with over 1.7 million guests passing through its doors in 2018.
Since first opening its doors to the public in 2000, the Guinness Storehouse has welcomed over 19 million visitors and is set to welcome its 20 millionth visitor in the coming months.
Tourism is one of Ireland's most important economic sectors, the industry is responsible for earnings of €8.7 billion which supports 230,000 jobs.
In 2018, guests from Mainland Europe made up the majority of visitors to the Guinness Storehouse, with 32% of all guests travelling from the continent.
The highest year on year growth was from Italy, which increased its visitor numbers by over 31% and Germany which was up 22%. The USA continues to show strong performance making up over 30% of all visitors to the Guinness Storehouse this year.
Located in the heart of the St. James's Gate Brewery, the Guinness Storehouse tells the story of one of Ireland’s most iconic brands, Guinness.
The journey begins at the bottom of the world's largest pint glass and continues up through seven floors, including the highlight for many visitors - the famous Gravity Bar, which showcases unparalleled panoramic 360⁰ views of Dublin city.
Visitors from Ireland and abroad discover what goes into making each and every pint, learn about the incredible brand history stretching over 250 years, its iconic advertising, as well as a tasting like no other.
Commenting on the visitor numbers, Paul Carty, Managing Director of the Guinness Storehouse said:
“2018 was another incredibly successful year for the Guinness Storehouse. Our aim is to position Ireland and the Guinness Storehouse as a year-round, ‘must visit’ destination, to ensure that the contribution of tourism to the economy continues to expand. With a focus on seasonality, this year we heavily internationally promoted key events: International Stout Festival in November and St. Patrick’s Festival in March.”
The US continues to show incredible growth over the last number of years. Over the past five-years, we have seen numbers of US visitors to the Guinness Storehouse effectively double, growing by 196%.
"We continually re-invest in our visitor experience to meet and exceed visitors’ expectations. As well as plans to double the Gravity Bar in size by late 2019, this year the Guinness Storehouse introduced the Guinness STOUTie, a picture-perfect pint experience that features your own selfie on the pint.
"We are very proud of the success of the Guinness Storehouse over the 18 years and of the commitment of our own team at the Guinness Storehouse and all those across the industry who work hard to promote Dublin and Ireland as a world-class destination. We are excited to begin the next chapter of the Guinness Storehouse as we’re set to welcome our 20 millionth visitor this year.”
CEO of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons said:
“Congratulations to everyone at the Guinness Storehouse on welcoming over 1.7million visitors in 2018. This is a remarkable achievement and testament to the hard work of the staff. Overseas visitors regularly tell us that their holiday in Ireland has surpassed their expectations and a visit to Guinness Storehouse is certainly a ‘must see’ now on everyone’s itinerary.”
2018 looks set to be another record year for Irish tourism, surpassing all previous records and coming on the back of a number of years of strong growth. And, I am delighted to report that we have seen growth from all our main markets around the world – with record numbers arriving here from North America, Mainland Europe, Australia and emerging markets.
