In August, Ireland saw an increase in spending by international tourists, who contributed €1.1 billion to the economy, marking a 10.2 per cent rise when compared to the figures of the same period in the previous year, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
During this month, the total number of overseas tourists visiting Ireland stood at 763,600, indicating a 3.5 per cent increase from August 2023. The average expenditure for each trip was €1,437, a noticeable rise from the €1,351 average in the year before.
On breaking down the expenditures by category, the most significant was routine expenses, which, excluding accommodation costs, take into account aspects such as dining out, entry fees, and public transportation. These accounted for €432.5 million, making up nearly 40 per cent of the total spending.
Accommodation followed closely, costing a total of €333.8 million. The fare expenses added up to €277.5 million while the amount set aside for prepayments, including car rental and advance booking of tickets, amounted to €53.8 million.
Out of the 763,600 international travellers who left Ireland through overseas routes, approximately 40 per cent or 298,600 individuals chose to stay in a hotel. Meanwhile, 290,900 opted for staying with family, friends or in their own properties. Other accommodation preferences included guest houses or B&Bs, and rented or self-catering units which were chosen by 62,900 and 43,300 tourists respectively.
For reference, in August 2023, almost 297,000 visitors opted for hotel accommodation, around 295,900 stayed with family or at their own properties, whereas 45,700 and 36,600 visitors opted for B&Bs and rented or self-catering accommodation respectively.
The country saw a significant drop of 9.2 per cent in the total nights spent by tourists, amounting to 6.7 million nights compared to the previous year. The typical duration of stay for foreign overnight tourists reduced to 8.7 nights from the previous average of 9.9 nights.
Within the 763,600 overseas travellers leaving Ireland in August, nearly half had holidaying or recreational activities as the primary purpose of their trip. The following top reason was visiting relatives or friends, making up 32.3 per cent of the visitor population, or 246,900 tourists.
While approximately 10 per cent arrived for professional or employment-related purposes, there was an increase of 7.1 per cent in leisure travellers. Conversely, 0.9 per cent and 7.7 per cent reductions were seen in tourists visiting family or friends and those coming for work.
The most considerable number of visitors, more than a third, hailed from Britain, then 18.8 per cent from the United States, and finally both Germany and France which each contributed 7.4 per cent.
The total number of travellers departing Ireland for foreign destinations escalated by 5.2 per cent, reaching a tally of 2.3 million. The majority of these passengers were Irish dwellers travelling abroad either for holiday or other purposes.
Additional 9.9 per cent comprised of same-day travellers, including Northern Irish travellers (4 per cent), foreigners on transit (4.8 per cent), and other foreign day-trippers (1.1 per cent).
Foreign overnight visitors made up a third of those leaving the country, totalling 763,600 travellers.