DUBLIN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ireland said on Tuesday the number of British trips to the European country had dropped by 300,000 as a result of the collapse in sterling following the June 2016 Brexit vote.
In an analysis report, Failte Ireland, the country's national tourism development authority, said the decrease represented about 88 million euros (105 million U.S. dollars) in lost revenue.
The government body said it would have amounted to an estimated 1,900 job losses in the industry had the fall in British numbers not been compensated for by a strong performance in other markets, including the United States.
For the British tourists, sterling's weakness has a negative impact on the cost of their holiday in Ireland, it added.
In just five months, based on exchange rates alone, the cost of accommodation for a British tourist has increased by 7 percent, according to Failte Ireland.
Britain has long been Ireland's largest tourism market. Each year over the last five years, it accounted for an average of 3 million tourists and 1 billion euros (1.19 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue.
Ireland has recently launched a range of industry supports designed to help businesses assess their Brexit risks and to provide a range of interventions.
Tourism is one of Ireland's most important economic sectors and has significant potential to play a further role in Ireland's economic revival.
The year 2016 was a record-breaking year for overseas tourism to Ireland, with almost 9.6 million people arriving here, an increase of 10.9 percent, or 941,300 additional overseas visitors, when compared with 2015.
