Kerry lost €400 million in tourism revenue in 2020, due to the global pandemic - and it's unlikely that international visitors will return to the county before next June.
That's according to the county's Tourism Officer John Griffin - however, he believes that a new generation of visitors discovered Kerry during last summer, and this bodes well for the future.
After a bumper year in 2019 - when 2.3 million people visited Kerry, generating an income of €650 million - the county was particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
The cancellation of major festivals like the Rose of Tralee and Listowel Writers' week drained the county of vital revenue.
However, a new generation of younger visitors, who would normally travel abroad for their holiday, came to Kerry during the summer months.
Mr Griffin says this is something to build on for the future:
While the 2021 tourism year will be challenging, there are many positives to focus on, including the opening of greenways and the launch of new plans for places like Dingle and Ballybunion.
John Griffin also believes that the new US President will have a positive impact on the Irish tourist market, once visitors begin to return:
