The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism, Martin Cullen TD recently launched a new entrance and exit at Guinness Storehouse – the Home of Guinness and Ireland's number one visitor attraction.

The recent €4.5 million developments include a new entrance and exit experience, a powerful Guinness 'surge' in the Atrium and an extended Guinness flagship retail store.  All of these developments have been created to improve the visitor experience at Guinness Storehouse and to accommodate the attraction's ever growing visitor numbers.

Managing Director of the Guinness Storehouse, Paul Carty commented, "I am very proud of the recent developments to the Storehouse which were essential due to the growing number in visitors.  In the last twelve months, Guinness Storehouse has welcomed over 1 million visitors through its doors – a first for the Storehouse since opening in December 2000".

Speaking on the day, Minister Cullen said "I am pleased to be here to mark the new developments at the Guinness Storehouse.  Since opening in December 2000, 6.5 million visitors have come through the doors to enjoy the Storehouse's informative insight into every aspect of the brewing process of a product that is synonymous with Dublin and Ireland".

The Guinness Storehouse is Ireland's number 1 visitor attraction and the third biggest brand experience in the world.  In 2007 the top ranking nationalities that visited the Storehouse were UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Australia, France and Scandinavia.

The Guinness Storehouse also recently scooped the Hospitality Ireland Award for Best Website at a ceremony held in Dublin last week.  The judges described the Guinness Storehouse website www.guinness-storehouse.com as "a highly useful and very accessible website with clearly laid out information and attractive design…as simple and straightforward as a pint of the black stuff."

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For further information, please contact:

Mark McGovern, Media Relations
E: mark.mcgovern@diageo.com
M: +353 86 34 88 322