According to the latest issue of Hotel and Catering Review, close to 90% of Good Food Ireland members believe that the marketing of food tourism is important for driving growth in the sector, while 100% believe local Irish food should be an integral part of Ireland’s international tourism marketing.
The articel in today’s bulletin reveals that a survey of Good Food Ireland members undertaken by Grant Thornton found that four in five members believe that local food is a strong economic driver for their business. Over 90% had increased their purchasing of Irish food over the last three years.
Despite the continued challenges in the economy, two-thirds of members revealed they met their earning expectations in 2011 while four in five expect growth this year. The findings of ‘Food: The Secret Ingredient to Irish Tourism & Export Growth’ were published by Good Food Ireland to coincide with the group’s workshops held across Ireland last week.