27/05/2011 00:00:00
The worldwide media coverage of the recent successful visits to Ireland of Queen Elizabeth II and US president, Barack Obama has resulted in increased interest in Ireland from the US and UK.
According to the latest figures from Hotels.com there has been a surge in searches from the US and UK for Irish destinations which were beamed around the world in the past month.
Queen Elizabeth’s historic visit to the Irish Republic incorporated conference venues such as the Guinness Storehouse, The Convention Centre Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. She also paid a visit to Cork city on the final day of her four-day trip. 
According to the latest Hotels.com figures, searches from the US for Cork are up 104% compared with May last year while searches from the UK for Cork are up 74%.
County Kildare, home to the National Stud visited by Queen Elizabeth II, many fine conference venues and golf courses, has received the largest increase in searches – 191% from the UK and 111% from the US.
Seamus MacCormaic, director of market management UK & Ireland at Hotels.com said: “The recent visits of Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama have allowed us to showcase all that is great about Ireland as a holiday destination from the stunning scenery to the famous Irish welcome. These visits have played an integral part in reigniting interest in Ireland in particular in the important UK and US markets.
“For a long time we had a reputation as an expensive destination but we now offer some of the best value in the world. According to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index™ Ireland now offers the best value hotels in Western Europe with the average hotel price in Ireland just €79 per night.”
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. Image courtesy of the Irish Government.