Tertiary economic activities in the GDA:tourism

tertiary economic activity

Tertiary economic activities account for the services industry in a region, it includes a wide range of services such as the financial sector, education and hospitality.

In this answer I will discuss the development of tourism in the Greater Dublin Area region.

Within this region tertiary economic activities are highly developed because of it is a core region and is the main financial and education sector in Ireland.

The tourism sector contributes to the economy of Ireland and is highly developed in the GDA

Tourism

Tourism in Dublin earns over €2 billion for the region and €8.4 billion for the country. In 2018, 11 million tourists visited Ireland and most of them entered the country through Dublin.

These figures are thought to drop significantly in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the decrease in travel across the world.

With Dublin being the main entry point for tourists and the capital of Ireland it tends to get the most tourism on the island. Dublin accounts for 40% of Irelands tourism.

Irelands mainairport and port are located in Ireland and tourists save on travel if they stay in the region rather than going further inland. Cheap flights and package holidays are very popular and makes travel accessible to tourists. The growth of tourism in Ireland is based mainly on art galleries and museums e.g. The National History Museum in Dublin city, as well as scenic hikes in Glendalough co. Wicklow and active holidays as the cool temperate oceanic climate results in regular rainfall and changeable temperatures.

Human factors

Human factors affecting the industry is tourist agencies such as Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.

Both of these companies work hard in promoting Ireland as a tourist destination around the world.

They promote Dublin for city breaks and co. Wicklow for nature and scenery. Kildare's main attraction is the Bloodstock industry, the National Stud and Kildare Village Outlets.

In co. Meath, Tayto Park theme park attracts many tourists. In 2013, 'The Gathering' welcomed a 13% increase in tourists from the USA.

Transport network

The well-developed transport network in the region is also beneficial to the tourist industry here.

The expansion of Dublin Airport allows over 30 million passengers to pass through Ireland each year.

The developed bus and rail services make the surrounding areas accessible from the airport and the develop road network allows for a high number of taxis and easy transportation from one area to another for tourists.

Attraction sights

Dublin and surrounding counties encourage a large volume of tourism as there are glacial valleys and lakes, hikes and rugged coastlines as well as sandy beaches all within a close proximity to the main urban area.

The Wicklow and Dublin mountains, Glendalough, Brittas Bay, Bray Head and Howth Head attract huge amounts of local and foreign visitors all year round.

Both physical and human factors have encouraged the growth and development of tourism in the Greater Dublin Area region.