DUBLIN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Ireland on Wednesday published a list of the nation's best-performing tourist attractions of 2016, with the Guinness Storehouse remaining at the top of the most popular fee-paying attraction in the country.
Last year, the Guinness Storehouse welcomed 1.6 million visitors, up 10 percent on 2015, according to Failte Ireland, the country's national tourism development authority.
Other most popular fee-paying attractions in Ireland are Cliffs of Moher in southwest Ireland's County Clare, Dublin Zoo, National Aquatic Centre in Dublin's suburb Blanchardstown, and Book of Kells, housed in Trinity College Dublin, Failte Ireland said.
As to free attractions in Ireland, Failte Ireland said the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin once again topped the most popular free attractions in the country, with over 755,000 visitors in 2016.
Other most popular free attractions in Ireland are Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin's suburb Kilmainham, National Botanic Gardens in Dublin's Glasnevin town, Doneraile Wildlife Park in south Ireland's County Cork, and National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
Failte Ireland has said the year 2016 is a record year for the country's tourism sector. Last year, over 9.5 million trips were made to Ireland by overseas visitors, an increase of 10.9 percent on 2015, with more than 6 billion euros (6.76 billion U.S. dollars) spent here.
