DUBLIN tourist hotspot the Guinness Storehouse is set to welcome its 20millionth visitor in the coming months after a record-breaking year.
Since it opened in 2000, the attraction at St. James’s Gate Brewery has welcomed more than 19million visitors.
In 2018, more than 1.7million people visited the site, cementing its position as Ireland’s number one international visitor attraction.
“2018 was another incredibly successful year for the Guinness Storehouse,” said Paul Carty, the attraction’s Managing Director.
“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.”
US visitors
Guests from mainland Europe made up the majority of visitors to the Guinness Storehouse in 2018 (32 per cent).
Meanwhile 30 per cent of all visitors to the attraction in the past year were from the US.
Over the past five years, the number of US visitors has effectively doubled, growing by 196 per cent.
The Guinness Storehouse tour tells the story of one of Ireland’s most iconic brands.
The highlight for many visitors is the famous Gravity Bar at the top of the building where the tour culminates, which boasts 360-degree views of Dublin city.
There are plans to double the size of the bar by the end of 2019.