Irish camping and caravan holidays have fallen out of favour with foreign tourists, with almost 20 per cent fewer camp-site visitors in the first three months of the summer than in the same period last year.
The latest figures from the CSO show an increase of foreign visitor numbers from April to June this year of 3.4 per cent on last year. However, fewer tourists are choosing the great outdoors and rented holiday homes are becoming the preferred self-catering option.
The chairwoman of the Irish caravan council, Ms Nuala Allen, said she was surprised by the latest figures.
"Most of the people I've talked to in the trade are very happy in the main and from my own experience I would have thought foreign numbers were slightly up."
However, she said, where numbers were down, the recent bad weather, the smoking ban and the requirement for children to leave pubs by 9 p.m. could be to blame.
"If people are feeling the pinch, it's probably because the sector is so dependent on the weather and it hasn't been great recently. But as well, I think it is a struggle to attract foreign visitors now because of the smoking band and the 9 p.m. ban on children in restaurants doesn't help anyone attract foreign trade."
Fáilte Ireland, however, doesn't think the smoking ban and changes to licensing laws are deterring foreign visitors. "We don't know yet what effect the smoking ban is having on foreign numbers, it may be a factor in the future, but it's only too early to have registered with foreign tourists and in fact, I've been getting more letters commending us on it than anything else," Mr John Brown of Fáilte Ireland said.
Foreign visitors booking their holidays to Ireland from abroad were unlikely to be aware that children had to leave pubs by 9 p.m. he added.
