Ireland Tourism Faces Challenges & Opportunities in 2024
Despite a recent dip in overall visitor numbers, Ireland’s tourism sector is focusing on leveraging positive perceptions and capitalizing on emerging trends. According to Tourism Ireland Chief Executive Alice Mansergh, those who have visited Ireland demonstrate stronger satisfaction with its value proposition, presenting an opportunity to boost pre-trip perceptions and encourage travel.
Current data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals a year-to-date decrease of 11% in inbound tourism.However, July figures showed a smaller decline of 1.4% compared to the previous year. Last year saw a positive trend with overseas visitor spending reaching €6.9 billion, a 9% increase.
The UK remains Ireland’s largest tourism market, accounting for 32.5% of visitors, followed by the United States at 25.4%. Germany represents a smaller, but still critically important, portion at 6.5%. While visitor numbers are down in most key markets this year, Canada and possibly the Netherlands have shown resilience. Notably, North America was the onyl major market to see increased visitor numbers even during the peak summer holiday period in July.A potential boon for Irish tourism is the growing concern over extreme weather in customary European destinations. Over a third of overseas consumers are reconsidering their holiday plans due to soaring temperatures,and Ireland is being viewed favorably as a “coolcation” alternative alongside other Northern European locations.Key attractions for potential visitors include the Irish landscape, culture, and iconic landmarks, with a general desire for exploration and disconnection being primary motivators.
Ease of access is a factor influencing destination choice. Visitors from Britain and the United States are largely positive about travel convenience to Ireland, but perceptions are less favorable among those in Germany and the Netherlands, with less than half considering it easy to reach.
Economic headwinds pose a challenge, with 41% of potential travelers citing the cost of living as a limiting factor, and 25% delaying bookings due to economic uncertainty. Word-of-mouth recommendations remain the strongest driver of destination choice, followed by online searches, television/film, and social media.
The influence of technology is also growing, with a doubling in the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for travel planning in the past six months. Tourism ireland intends to integrate these latest insights, including AI, into its marketing strategy for the remainder of the year, utilizing publicity, advertising, digital, social, and AI channels to attract visitors.
