Some 622,300 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in May 2024, an increase of 8.5% compared with May 2023.
The largest contingent of visitors (34.9%) came from Great Britain, followed by the United States (20.2%), and then Germany (7.4%).
The visitors stayed a total of 4,462,100 nights in the country, marginally less (-0.3%) than May 2023.
The visitors' most frequent reason (45.1%) for travelling to Ireland was for holiday or leisure.
The visitors spent €810.6 million in total on their trips, a rise of 29.0% when compared with May 2023.
The Inbound Tourism series is a new statistical series based on an updated sampling methodology and data collection process. This release for May 2024 publishes results for January, February and March 2023 for the first time. For more information, including an update on the implementation of the new series, see Background Notes for more details.
Foreign visitors in the context of this release refers to overseas residents who have stayed at least one night in Ireland. These overseas residents include both Irish and non-Irish nationals but specifically exclude residents of Northern Ireland.
Foreign visitors who depart Ireland via the airports and seaports of Northern Ireland are not captured in the survey.
Some 622,300 foreign residents completed their visits to Ireland in May 2024, an increase of 8.5% compared with May 2023. These visitors had spent 4.5 million nights in Ireland, a decrease of -0.3% compared with the same month in 2023. The visitors’ average length of stay was 7.2 nights, down 0.6 nights from May 2023. The visitors expended €810.6 million on their trips, an increase of 29.0% compared with May 2023. The average cost of their trips in May 2024 was €1,303, whereas their average cost 12 months previously was €1,096.
| Inbound Tourism, May 2024 versus May 2023 | ||||
| May 2023 | May 2024 | Change | ||
| Visitors ('000s) | 573.3 | 622.3 | 49.0 | 8.5% |
| Nights ('000s) | 4,476.1 | 4,462.1 | -14.0 | -0.3% |
| Average length of stay (nights) | 7.8 | 7.2 | -0.6 | -7.7% |
| Expenditure (€million) | 628.3 | 810.6 | 182.3 | 29.0% |
| Mean expenditure (€) | 1,096 | 1,303 | 207 | 18.9% |
| X-axis label | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 451.9 | 400 |
| Feb | 433.3 | 337 |
| Mar | 521.8 | 425.2 |
| Apr | 549.1 | 461.9 |
| May | 622.3 | 573.3 |
| Jun | 619.9 | |
| Jul | 650.2 | |
| Aug | 737.6 | |
| Sep | 582.1 | |
| Oct | 577.4 | |
| Nov | 447.5 | |
| Dec | 445.2 |
In total, 2,057,800 passengers departed Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, an increase of 8.4% compared with May 2023. The majority of departing passengers (61.0%) were Irish residents heading outbound for tourism or other purposes. A further 8.8% were same day visitors, comprising Northern Ireland residents heading outbound via an airport or seaport in the Republic of Ireland (3.3%), foreign resident transfer passengers (4.6%), or other foreign resident same day visitors (0.9%). Some 30.2% of the departing passengers were foreign resident overnight visitors, constituting 622,300 visitors in total. The remainder of this release focuses exclusively on the characteristics and activities of these foreign resident overnight visitors (referred to simply as foreign visitors).
Of the 622,300 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, the highest proportion (34.9%) was from Great Britain, accounting for 217,200 of the visitors in total. The second highest proportion (20.1%) was from the United States, accounting for 125,400 visitors. The third highest proportion (7.4%) came from Germany comprising a further 46,300 visitors. This visitor profile remains largely unchanged from May 2023 when 34.8% of the visitors were from Great Britain, 18.4% from the United States, and 7.7% from Germany.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024 spent a total of 4,462,100 nights in the country. Broken down by residency, Other Europe visitors spent more nights in the country than any other residency group, accounting for 1,669,100 (37.4%) of the nights. The next most important visitor group, in terms of nights spent, was the United States and Canada, making up 1,248,800 (28.0%) of the total nights. Visitors from Great Britain were third most important, accounting for a further 1,041,300 (23.3%) of the nights. Other visitors made up 502,800 (11.3%) of the nights. Compared with May 2023, the total visitor nights in the country remains largely the same (decreasing by just 0.3%). However, the average length of stay decreased significantly, from 7.8 nights in May 2023 to 7.2 nights in May 2024.
Revisions have been made to tables 3 and 4 on 18 July 2024. In table 3, the Other Residencies total bednights figure for 2024 has been updated to correct a totalling error. In table 4, a category error resulted in the 2023 and 2024 monthly data for average length of stay for the Other Europe group being reported under the Great Britain category. Similarly, the monthly average length of stay data for Great Britain was reported under the Other Europe category. The corresponding CSO Statistical Database table (ITM03) displayed the information correctly and remains unchanged.
Among the 622,300 foreign visitors departing Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, more had come to holiday than for any other reason. Some 280,400 (45.1%) had holiday or leisure as the main reason for their trip. The next most likely reason was to visit family or friends, with 182,000 (29.2%) of the visitors coming for this purpose. A further 95,200 (15.3%) of the visitors had come for business or work-related reasons. This differed significantly from May 2023 when 39.7% had come for holidays, 35.8% to visit family or friends, and 12.9% for business or work.
Among the 622,300 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, some 311,900 (50.1%) stayed in a hotel. Another 204,700 (32.9%) of the visitors had used family or own property as their main accommodation type. A further 35,300 (5.7%) of the visitors used guest house/bed & breakfast as their main accommodation type, while 28,400 (4.6%) of the foreign visitors used rented/self-catering as their main accommodation type. By way of comparison, in May 2023 some 234,000 visitors stayed in a hotel, 241,700 in their own property or the property of family or friends and 31,200 stayed in rented/self-catering accommodation types.
Foreign visitors to Ireland who departed Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024 spent a total of €810.6 million on their trips (an increase of 29.0% compared with May 2023).
Broken down by expense category, the costliest subheading was day-to-day spending (incidental expenditures incurred during their visit such as eating out, entrance fees, public transport, etc, but excluding accommodation), amounting to €299.0 million (36.9% of the total expenditure). The next costliest subheading was accommodation at €272.1 million (33.6% of the total). Fares cost a further €207.7 million (25.6% of the total). Lastly, prepayments (items paid in advance, such as car hire, pre-booked tickets, etc.) comprised just €31.8 million (3.9% of the total).
Overall, in May 2024 the typical foreign visitor spent €1,303 on their trip to Ireland, breaking down as €334 on their fare, €51 on prepayments, €437 on accommodation, and €480 on day-to-day expenses. In May 2023 the comparable mean expenditure on these items was €263, €31, €388, and €414 respectively.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (27 June 2024) released Inbound Tourism May 2024.
Commenting on the release, Gregg Patrick, Statistician in the Tourism and Travel Division, said:
“The results show that 622,300 foreign visitors departed Ireland on oversea routes in May 2024, an increase of 8.5% compared with May 2023.
Some 34.9% of the visitors were from Great Britain, 20.2% were from the United States, and 7.4% were from Germany.
Typically, their visit lasted 7.2 nights.
Their most frequent reason for their journey (45.1%) was for holiday or leisure purposes.
More of the visitors stayed in hotels (50.1%) than in any other accommodation type, and the typical cost of their visit was €1,303 (comprising €334 on fare, €51 on prepayments, €437 on accommodation, and €480 on day-to-day expenditure).”