tourism revenue ireland

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Year End Review 2023 & Outlook 2024

27 December 2023

ITIC’s 2023 Review and 2024 Outlook shows that Irish tourism remains robust despite domestic cost challenges and international geopolitical events. It is estimated that €5.3 billion will have been spent by international visitors while visiting Ireland in 2023 with 254,000 people working in the sector making it the country’s largest indigenous industry and biggest regional employer.

Looking ahead, ITIC forecast that Irish tourism can achieve 5% revenue growth in real terms in 2024 with the North American market offering the best prospects.

VISION 2030: An Irish Tourism Strategy for Growth

18 September 2023

Ireland’s tourism industry can be ambitious about its future whilst delivering on its environmental sustainability obligations. That is the vision outlined in this strategy by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) – by 2030 the industry can be worth €15 billion to the national economy, can employ up to 350,000 people across the country, and will be delivering €3.5 billion tax receipts to the exchequer each year.

This key report recommends 38 actions to maximize potential outcomes.

11,500 hotel bedrooms needed by 2032 to meet projected tourism demand

17 August 2023

A key report by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation estimates that there is a deficit of 11,500 tourism bedrooms in the State if Ireland is to meet projected demand over the next decade.

The report, carried out by economist Jim Power, identifies that the price of sites, allied to construction inflation, make new builds cost-prohibitive apart from selected urban hotspots and Government will have to intervene with a range of policy measures to stimulate developments.

ITIC analysis of CSO’s first Tourism Satellite Account

25 July 2023

The CSO has just released its first Tourism Satellite Account, an internationally recognised framework for measuring tourist activity. It makes for interesting reading and underlines tourism’s importance to the national economy. Using 2019 data – the last year of full data pre-pandemic – the TSA estimated that tourist activity accounts for 4.4% of the economy and employs 13% of the national workforce.

Tourism’s Budget 2024 Submission

13 July 2023

ITIC launches its pre-budget submission and makes the clear case that restoring competitiveness and maintaining investment is vital to enable Ireland’s tourism industry overcome challenges and achieve sustainable growth. ITIC argues that 5 key budget decisions should be taken to support the 20,000 businesses within Ireland’s tourism and hospitality industry.

The Competitiveness of Irish Tourism – Review & Outlook

23 June 2023

Irish tourism is at a key juncture with demand strong but supply significantly compromised and sustainability at the heart of all considerations. In that context this timely report from the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) looks at the competitiveness of the sector and how worrying signs of erosion need to be addressed.

Competitiveness is critical to the continued recovery and sustained growth of the sector and this important report from ITIC outlines 10 strategic recommendations as to how Irish tourism’s competitiveness can be improved.

Increase in 9% VAT rate would damage jobs and add to inflation

11 January 2023

This report by Economist Jim Power, commissioned by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, finds that the scheduled VAT increase from 9% to 13.5% on February 28th will damage the industry at such an uncertain time. The VAT increase could cost up to 24,000 jobs and add 4.1% inflation to the cost of accommodation and food services.

The report concludes that VAT should be kept at 9% to protect the competitiveness of a vulnerable industry particularly when key source markets are going through economic turbulence.

Irish Tourism: Recovery & Outlook

10 January 2023

What does 2023 hold for Irish tourism in these most volatile of times? And how strong was the recovery in 2022?

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) has done a deep dive into the state of Irish tourism including economic analysis of our key source markets, a review of air and sea access to Ireland, and key challenges that will need to be overcome to ensure sustained recovery is secured.

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Find research & insights

Keep up-to-date on research and statistics from the Irish tourism industry.

Consumer Sentiment Reports

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Read the latest information in relation to domestic travel motivations.

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Get the latest on tourism performance in Ireland and learn more about industry trends

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Economic Analysis

Access the latest economic analysis reports relevant to the tourism industry.

Latest publications

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey May 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in May 2024.

Irish Resident Travel by County 2023

The Central Statistics Office published the Household Travel Survey Quarter 4 and Year 2023 in May 2024. The survey includes estimates of trips, nights and length of stay analysed by main county visited. This report summarises the data along with estimates generated by Fáilte Ireland of domestic tourism revenue by county.

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey April 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in April 2024.

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey March 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in March 2024.

An Analysis of Debt Warehousing in Tourism – June 2024 Update

An update on outstanding warehoused debt from the perspective of the tourism sector as of June 2024.

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Ireland Tourism Revenue

• Ireland's Tourism Revenue reached 2 USD bn in Dec 2019, compared with 3 USD bn in the previous quarter
• Ireland's Tourism Revenue data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2012 to Dec 2019
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,821 USD mn in Sep 2018 and a record low of 815 USD mn in Mar 2012

View Ireland's Tourism Revenue from Mar 2012 to Dec 2019 in the chart:

What was Ireland's Tourism Revenue in Dec 2019?

Ireland's Tourism Revenue reached 2 USD bn in Dec 2019, compared with 3 USD bn in the previous quarter See the table below for more data.

Tourism Revenue by Country Comparison

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Tourism Information

What is tourism.

Tourism encompasses most short-term travel away from a persons normal place of work or residence and includes not just holiday, leisure and recreational travel, but also travel for the purposes of visiting friends and relatives, business, education, religious, health or other reasons. 

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UN-WTO) defines 'tourism' as the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.

• Why is Tourism important?

Tourism is an important measure of the economic activity of the country. It helps to drive employment in a number of sectors such as hospitality and food, particularly in the locations and visitor attractions that are very popular with tourists. The revenue generated by both domestic and foreign visitors during their trip contributes to both the balance of payments and national accounts data.  Organisations such as Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland have a role in marketing Ireland as a holiday and business destination for both our overseas and domestic visitors.

• What does Tourism and Travel Section do?

The Tourism and Travel Section of the Central Statistics Office is the major source for tourism statistics in Ireland. Irish tourism can be categorised into three distinct markets:

• Inbound tourism (foreign tourists coming to Ireland)
• Outbound (Irish tourists going abroad)
• Domestic tourism (Irish tourists staying in Ireland)

Tourism and Travel Section collects tourism data on an ongoing basis through 3 surveys:

• Country of Residence Survey (CRS)
• Passenger Card Inquiry (PCI)
• Household Travel Survey (HTS)

Both the CRS and PCI are conducted by CSO interviewers on a continuous sample survey of incoming and departing passengers at major air and sea ports. Information provided by the CRS is published in the form of a rolling three month release titled Overseas Travel. Information provided by the PCI is published in the form of a quarterly release titled Tourism and Travel. Information provided by the HTS is published in the form of a quarterly release titled Household Travel Survey.

• What is the Country of Residence Survey (CRS)?

The Country of Residence Survey is used to provide an analysis of arriving and departing (overseas) passengers by country of residence. This survey allows the CSO to measure the number of non-Irish residents travelling into the Republic of Ireland and the number of Irish residents travelling abroad.

• What is the Passenger Card Inquiry (PCI)?

The Passenger Card Inquiry provides information on the reason for journey, area of residence, length of stay, expenditure and fare costs of visitors to Ireland and Irish visitors overseas. Type of accommodation used is also recorded for overseas passengers. The results are combined with the overall visitor estimates from the Country of Residence Survey to provide the overseas tourism and travel estimates.

• What is the Household Travel Survey (HTS)?

The purpose of the HTS is to measure domestic and foreign travel patterns involving overnight stays and associated details (expenditure, purpose of trip, type of accommodation used, average length of stay) of Irish residents. The HTS also covers all non-routine overnight trips, both domestic and foreign. The information is collected via a postal survey which is conducted on a monthly basis. Every month, over 4,600 households (or approximately 0.3% of all private households) are randomly selected from the Electoral Register, where the selection is stratified by District Electoral Division.

• What about Confidentiality?

The details given in the surveys are strictly confidential. This is guaranteed by law, under the Statistics Act, 1993. Individual details cannot be given in an identifiable form to any person or organisation.

• Who uses Tourism and Travel Statistics?

The data collected by Tourism and Travel Section is used by:

• Irish government departments
• The European Union
• Macro-economists
• Analysts and researchers with an interest in economic trends
• Other special interest groups
• Internal producers of macroeconomic estimates
• Related Information

Further information is available as follows:

• Releases, Publications and Tables 
• Surveys and Methodology

Alternatively, you may contact:

Information Section Tel: +353-21-4535000 Email: [email protected]

Tourism and Travel Section Email: [email protected] .

Principal Statistics

Related links.

• What is Tourism?

Central Statistics Office Skehard Road, Cork T12 X00E, Ireland

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What is the EU visa waiver scheme and how will it work?

The EU is planning to introduce a €7 (£6) EU visa waiver for some non-EU citizens, including Britons, by summer 2025.

Under new rules, visitors from a list of non-EU countries, including the UK, will need to apply for a waiver, similar to a US Esta, before travelling to 30 countries in Europe.

The waiver will cover travel to the Schengen area, which includes every EU state except for Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Here's what you need to know about how the new scheme will operate and when it will start.

How does the EU visa waiver scheme work?

The new scheme will be called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias).

Currently, visitors from the UK can visit the EU's borderless Schengen area for up to 90 days every 180 days without a visa.

This is also the case for citizens of more than 60 non-EU countries, including the US, Japan and Australia.

Under the Etias scheme, this will change.

Visitors from the non-EU countries on the list will need to apply for a visa waiver to travel to the EU for the same duration of 90 days every 180 days. Longer stays will require a visa.

The document will be checked by border guards when crossing the EU border.

The full list of non-EU countries eligible for Etias is published by the EU .

The visa waiver will last for three years and allow an unlimited number of visits.

It will be linked to your passport, so if your passport expires in less than three years, you will need to apply for a new Etias when you get a new one.

How much will the Etias cost?

The waiver will cost €7 for most people, which the EU Commission says is "way cheaper" than the US Esta, which costs $14 (€12.50; £10.75).

The fee will apply to anyone between the ages of 18 and 70.

The waiver will be free for children and the over-70s.

When will the Etias scheme start?

The EU has not announced a firm start date for the waiver scheme yet.

Its website says it will start in "the first half of 2025".

The EU says the Etias requirement will not be enforced for a period of "at least six months" at first, although it recommends all visitors apply for a visa waiver.

A Home Office spokesperson said the UK expects the EU to provide more information on the rollout of the scheme "in due course".

How will waiver applications work?

Passengers will need to apply online or via a mobile app. The form - which the EU describes as a "necessary and small procedural step" - will take around 10 minutes to complete, authorities say.

The details needed for the application form will include passport information as well as background questions about criminal records and medical conditions.

More than 95% of applications will be approved automatically within minutes, the EU says. However, it warns that in some cases may take up to 72 hours.

Applications may also be denied or take up to four weeks to process in exceptional circumstances.

Why is the scheme being introduced?

The EU has decided to bring in more border controls as a response to the migrant crisis and concerns over terrorism.

It says the Etias system will "strengthen security checks on those persons who travel visa-free to the EU".

According to the EU website, the Etias will help EU states "assess potential risks" posed by people entering their borders.

It is aimed at preventing "cross-border crime and terrorism," the website says.

What is the EES?

Another EU border scheme, called the Entry/Exit System (ESS), is launching on 10 November after a series of delays .

Commissioner Johansson says the EES system will mean strict digital border controls at "every single airport," "harbour" and "road into Europe".

The rules will mean "we will know if people stay too long" and "will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports," she says.

Under the EES scheme, people entering the EU will have to register fingerprints, a photo and passport details.

That initial registration will be valid for three years, during which time it will need to be validated every time someone crosses the border. This will replace passport stamping.

However, long queues have been predicted, with experts warning the EES could add at least two minutes processing time per passenger, compared with the current 45 seconds.

New EU border IT system risks long delays - Cameron

Uk travellers to pay €7 to visit eu after brexit, app to cut eu border queues won't be ready in time.

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). A paid subscription is required for full access.

• Estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020

Estimated impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on tourism revenue in Ireland in 2020 (in million euros)

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December 2020

Other statistics on the topic

• Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Ireland 2019-2034
• Number of domestic tourist trips in Ireland 2012-2022
• Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Ireland 2019-2034

Art & Culture

• Most visited paid tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance

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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in Ireland "

• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Ireland 2019-2023, by type
• Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Ireland 2019-2023, by tourist type
• Tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Average daily expenditure on tourism in Ireland 2019, by tourist type
• Industry revenue of “travel agency, tour operator, reservation service“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Estimated impact of COVID-19 on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020, by sector
• Estimated number of tourism jobs lost due to COVID-19 in Ireland 2020, by sector
• International tourism receipts in Ireland 2011-2023
• Number of overseas travel arrivals in Ireland 2019-2021, by mode
• Number of inbound tourist visits to Ireland 2012-2019
• Number of inbound tourists in Ireland 2018-2019, by country
• Number of overseas tourist visits in Ireland 2019, by region
• Inbound tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Overseas vacationers in Ireland 2019, by age
• Share of overseas tourists in Ireland in 2019, by month of arrival
• Domestic tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2022
• Number of outbound tourist trips from Ireland 2013-2022
• Outbound tourism expenditure in Ireland 2013-2022
• Share of people intending to travel in Ireland April 2021, by destination and period
• Industry revenue of “accommodation and food service activities“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Industry revenue of “accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Industry revenue of “hotels and similar accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Number of travel accommodation establishments in Ireland 2011-2021
• Number of rooms in accommodation premises in Ireland in 2019, by type
• Number of hotels and similar accommodation in Ireland 2006-2019
• Number of hotel rooms in Ireland 2010-2021
• Hotel bedroom occupancy rates in Ireland 2012-2019
• Number of overseas travelers engaging in outdoor activities in Ireland 2019
• Preferred activities by domestic vacationers in Ireland 2019
• Most visited free tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance

Other statistics that may interest you Travel and tourism in Ireland

• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Ireland 2019-2034
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Ireland 2019-2023, by type
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Ireland 2019-2023, by tourist type
• Premium Statistic Tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Premium Statistic Average daily expenditure on tourism in Ireland 2019, by tourist type
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Ireland 2019-2034
• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “travel agency, tour operator, reservation service“ in Ireland 2012-2025

COVID-19 impact

• Premium Statistic Estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020
• Premium Statistic Estimated impact of COVID-19 on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020, by sector
• Premium Statistic Estimated number of tourism jobs lost due to COVID-19 in Ireland 2020, by sector
• Premium Statistic International tourism receipts in Ireland 2011-2023

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of overseas travel arrivals in Ireland 2019-2021, by mode
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourist visits to Ireland 2012-2019
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourists in Ireland 2018-2019, by country
• Premium Statistic Number of overseas tourist visits in Ireland 2019, by region
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Premium Statistic Overseas vacationers in Ireland 2019, by age
• Premium Statistic Share of overseas tourists in Ireland in 2019, by month of arrival

Domestic and outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic tourist trips in Ireland 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourist trips from Ireland 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism expenditure in Ireland 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Share of people intending to travel in Ireland April 2021, by destination and period

Accommodation

• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “accommodation and food service activities“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “hotels and similar accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Basic Statistic Number of travel accommodation establishments in Ireland 2011-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of rooms in accommodation premises in Ireland in 2019, by type
• Basic Statistic Number of hotels and similar accommodation in Ireland 2006-2019
• Basic Statistic Number of hotel rooms in Ireland 2010-2021
• Basic Statistic Hotel bedroom occupancy rates in Ireland 2012-2019

Tourist activities and visitor attractions

• Premium Statistic Number of overseas travelers engaging in outdoor activities in Ireland 2019
• Premium Statistic Preferred activities by domestic vacationers in Ireland 2019
• Premium Statistic Most visited free tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance
• Premium Statistic Most visited paid tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance

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