Guinness’ new U.S. brewery in Baltimore County is expected to host several hundred thousand visitors a year. The Guinness Store House at St. James Gate in Dublin is Ireland’s largest tourist attraction, luring over 1.7 million visitors per year.
Huge breweries are not the only locations to attract travelers.
Almost half of all travelers visit at least one brewery on their trips. In 2014 alone, more than 10 million people toured small and independent craft breweries.
In a Travelocity survey, almost three-quarters of respondents said they would like to go on a trip where they visited craft breweries and sampled local craft beer.
As a result, Travelocity began publishing a beer tourism index. They list large and small metro areas that are perfect for these beercations based on an algorithm including availability of rideshare services, accessibility by air, and the average cost of lodging.
Don’t limit yourself to somebody else’s study, however. Here on the Eastern Shores of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (or Delmarva as we like to call it), we have over 25 breweries, including Dogfish Head. We also have gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, and are within an easy drive of Guinness’ new brewery as well as the airports that can take you all the way to Ireland.
Plan your next vacation to include craft beer, and if you want more info on Delmarva, you can explore ShoreCraftBeer.com. For Beer Notes, this is Anne Neely.
Author: Kristin Helf
Kristin is a writer and picture-taker in Ocean City, Maryland. She likes puppies, pumpkin ales and watching movies for the Ocean City Film Festival in her spare time.
