•David

As if the weak GBP (since the UK Brexit vote in June 2016) weren't enough, Irish tourism now has to contend with a US dollar - now at 0.85 euro - that's been falling against the EU currency during the past year.

But with increased airline and ferry capacity, North American and European markets are still expected to do well by Ireland in 2018.

We've been seeing only great consumer confidence and optimism in the USA throughout 2017, and I see no reason for that not to continue to be the case.