Tourist Spending Sees Notable Rise in Ireland
In a promising turn for the Irish economy, tourist spending increased by 9% in July, reflecting a steady recovery in international travel post-2025. New data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicates that approximately 676,300 foreign visitors journeyed to Ireland during the month, marking a 5% rise compared to July 2025 and a 3% increase from July 2024.
Recovery and Growth in Irish Tourism
The first seven months of the year saw an impressive 3.9 million foreign visitors, a 13% jump from last year and slightly above the figures from 2024. These tourists contributed an estimated €681 million in July, excluding fares, which represents a 9% increase on last year and a 5% increase from 2024. When accounting for travel costs, the total expenditure rises to €944 million.
Daily expenses reached €329 million, while accommodation costs were €322 million, and advance payments for services like car hire totaled €30 million. Tourists in Ireland spent over €4.5 billion from January to July, up nearly 14% from the previous year, although still 2% shy of 2024 levels.
Visitor Demographics and Behavior
Collectively, visitors accounted for almost 5.2 million nights spent in Ireland, a 2% improvement from the previous year. However, the average duration of stays slightly declined to 7.6 nights from 7.9. Half of the visitors in July were holidaymakers, 29% were visiting family or friends, and 11% traveled for business.
Interestingly, continental Europe and Britain each contributed 32% of the tourists, while North America accounted for 30%. The German contingent was notably strong with about 45,700 visitors. North American visitors were the highest spenders, contributing €300 million, followed by Europeans at €209 million, and British visitors at €127 million.
Tourism Industry Appeals for VAT Adjustments
The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation has urged the extension of the reduced 9% VAT rate to include sectors like camping, attractions, and adventure activities in the forthcoming budget. They argue this would boost competitiveness and sustainability, with the measure estimated to cost €17.6 million.
This follows the introduction of a 9% VAT rate for food-driven hospitality businesses in July, projected to cost €232 million for the rest of the year and €681 million annually.
Citing these figures, the Confederation emphasized that the attractions sector employed over 6,600 people in 2025 with a revenue of €458 million.
For further details, read the original report from Irishexaminer.com at this link.
