A decrease in the value of the pound following the European Referendum has resulted in “record-breaking” levels of hotel occupancy in Derry over the last two months, it has emerged.
Room occupancy rates in the city for both August and September surpassed all previous records, with a figure of 88.9 per cent recorded for August and 84 per cent occupancy recorded last month.
The figures were revealed by Odhran Dunne, manager of Visit Derry, at a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Business and Culture Committee.
Mr Dunne said that in addition to a “record August,” the local occupancy rates for September had just been released which also revealed a “best ever” record of 84 per cent compared to a figure of 72 per cent last year.
Mr Dunne added the last two months had also witnessed a “massive uplift” from those travelling to Derry from across the border, adding that the “staycation trend” in the North had also boosted the fortunes of local hotels.
Details were also revealed of overnight visitors to the city’s hotels during last year, which showed that almost half – 47 per cent – of all those who stayed here came from Northern Ireland.
Seventeen per cent of those who stayed in Derry hotels last year hailed from the rest of Britain, while 13 per cent travelled from the Republic of Ireland.
Travellers from the US accounted for 12 per cent of overnight visitors, with Europe accounting for six per cent and the remaining five per cent made up of visitors from the rest of the world.
The meeting was also told there been 90,000 enquiries at the visitor centre in Foyle Street with 82,000 of these being actual physical visits by tourists, with 2,600 coaches arriving at its parking bays.
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