Strong recovery as domestic Irish tourism rises to €2.9bn

Domestic tourism’s role in driving a sustainable regional economy underlined.

Domestic Irish tourism grew 36% year-on-year to €2.9bn in revenues, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office.

Total holiday trips in 2022 of 6.6m were up 14% on 2019, with holiday nights up by 16%. Holiday spend increased by 39% vs. 2019 to almost €1.9bn.

“They show the passion that consumers have for discovering our beautiful country and experiencing the many quality visitor experiences that Ireland is famous for”

The average spend for all trips and holiday trips in 2022 was €221 and €281 respectively.

Sustainable recovery

Visits to Friends/Relatives at 4.6m were up by 18% on 2019, with nights and spend increasing by 18% and 36% respectively.

Trips for all other reasons at 1.6m grew by 12% vs. 2019, with nights (+9%) and spend (+26%) also up.

The data was welcomed by Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly who said the strong results are positive for tourism and the Irish economy.

“They show the passion that consumers have for discovering our beautiful country and experiencing the many quality visitor experiences that Ireland is famous for.

“In addition to the CSO data our own research shows that visitor satisfaction with their trip stands at 79%. The domestic market is critical for sustainable recovery and plays a key role in driving regional and seasonal spread.”

John Kennedy
Award-winning ThinkBusiness.ie editor John Kennedy is one of Ireland's most experienced business and technology journalists.

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