Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries remain a key part of Ireland’s tourism campaign for 2015 and 2016, Irish Ambassador Tony Cotter has said.

The plan comes on the heels of year-on-year increases in the number of visitors to Ireland from the GCC countries, he told Arab News.

“Approximately 45,000 to 55,000 visitors from GCC nations visited Ireland in 2013, representing a significant growth of 8 percent from the previous year,” he said.

“Tourism Ireland” will be working closely with the local travel industry to spread awareness about Ireland among Saudi travelers, he said.

“Ireland is growing in popularity with travelers from the GCC region. Moreover, 2014 travel figures show that arrival to Dublin from the Middle East and Asian markets grew by 13 percent compared to 2013,” Cotter said. Ireland is an Islam-friendly destination with locally-produced halal food, Cotter added.