Sustained Growth in Revenue from Overseas Tourism

Sustained Growth in Revenue from Overseas Tourism

Total overseas visitors to Ireland grew by 7.1% to 8.2 million for the period from January to September 2018, according to the latest CSO data released today.


The figures also showed that total revenue, excluding fares, grew by 7.1% to €4.1 billion compared to the same period last year.

The North American market returned the strongest growth – up by 13.2%, followed by Mainland Europe (7.5%) while British revenue declined by 1%.

Responding to the figures, Fáilte Ireland’s CEO Paul Kelly said:
“We know that 2018 has been a record year for tourism and this is very much reflected in today’s figures. Growth of this level does not happen by accident – central to Ireland’s tourism success story has been long-term planning, strong product development and the work of a dynamic industry, which has shown great agility in adapting to ever-changing consumer preferences as well as growth from new and emerging markets. This forward-looking approach will be critical in 2019 and beyond, particularly with Brexit on the horizon and the economic uncertainty around the UK market. In order for Ireland to continue on this upward trajectory, and for tourism to sustain the major economic and social contributions the sector has made across the country, the industry will need to plan ahead and diversify into other markets to offset the potential impact of losing visitors from our nearest overseas market.

“Fáilte Ireland has been working closely with the wider tourism industry to ensure that this remains their focus, and continues to provide a comprehensive range of supports that will support them to effectively target tourists from new markets and create a full tourism offering that meets their needs. As we look to 2019, we will continue to work with Government, public sector bodies, private businesses and local communities to target new markets and build strong tourism product on the ground.”

The data released today also shows:
  • Overall visitor nights increased by 5.1%; Mainland Europe grew by 9.5% with North American nights up by 8.6%, while British nights declined by 6.2%.
  • Holiday visits grew by 10.7%, ahead of the growth in visitor numbers, with holiday nights and revenue up by 8.4% and 12.2% respectively.
  • Nights in Hotels increased by 2.7% and Guesthouse/B&B nights grew by 15.6%
Overseas Tourism January to September 2018  
% change
 
  Visitors Nights Revenue (exc fares)
Britain 1.1 -6.2 -1.0
North America 12.9 8.6 13.2
Mainland Europe 10.0 9.5 7.5
Other areas 5.3 6.6 3.1
Total 7.1 5.1 7.1
Holiday 10.7 8.4 12.2
Business -7.1 -3.2 -0.5
VFR 6.6 3.4 1.6
Hotels   2.7  
GH/B&Bs   15.6  
       
 
Source: CSO Tourism and Travel survey, 12 December 2018
 

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