Irish Arrivals Fall By 35% On Lanzarote in October

The economic crisis engulfing the Republic of Ireland is taking an inevitable toll on the nation’s favourite holiday destination. As the number of Irish tourists enjoying holidays in Lanzarote dropped sharply by 35% last month, according to the latest figures just released by ISTAC, the Canarian Institute of Statistics.
Lanzarote is the most popular sunshine destination for Irish tourists. During the boom years of the Celtic Tiger economy in 2007b and 2008 over 200,000 visitors arrived flights to Lanzarote from the Republic every year. Equivalent to an amazing 1 in 20 of the country´s entire population. But now this love affair is on the wane – thanks to the impact of the recession and the introduction of austerity measures. Which has seen tourism from the Republic contract by over 15% last year – and with a similar reduction expected during the course of 2010.
Overall, Lanzarote´s tourist sector has recovered well since the crisis of 2009, with arrivals from the island’s two largest markets of the UK and Germany up and total foreign tourist visits reaching 1,240,355 passengers during the first ten months of this year. However the Irish market, Lanzarote´s third largest, looks set to buck this positive trend for the foreseeable future as the economic crisis there continues to deepen.