Overseas tourism to Ireland softened in November 2024
Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures for November 2024 show that Ireland welcomed 408,000 visitors - down 9% from November 2023 - who spent 316 million euro, down 5%. However, not all news was bad, as November visitors spent 15% more per night in Ireland vs. November 2023.
Causes of this softening likely include:
- 32M/year passenger cap at Dublin Airport, which supports 70% of air access to the Island of Ireland and 85% of that to the Republic, resulting in seat capacity down to 96% of winter 2023
- Inflation and rising cost of doing business in Ireland, leading to higher prices for visitors, particularly those from the UK and EU
- Petering out of COVID-induced pent-up demand for travel
Along with advocating for a relaxation of the Dublin passenger cap, Tourism Ireland is working with air and sea carriers to grow demand for routes directly into the regions of Ireland - bypassing Dublin Airport - while also promoting year-round tourism to13 world markets.
Will Tourism Ireland be able to grow tourist visitation and spend in summer 2025? Watch this space.
