Some 548,100 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in October 2024, a decrease of 5.1% compared with October 2023.
The visitors spent €534.3 million on their trips (excluding fares), up 3.6% compared with October 2023.
The largest contingent of visitors (32.6%) came from Great Britain, followed by the United States (21.7%), and Germany (8.1%).
The most frequent reason (44.2%) for travelling to Ireland was for holiday or leisure.
The visitors stayed a total of 3.9 million nights in the country, down 2.1% when compared with October 2023.
The average length of stay for foreign resident overnight visitors was 7.1 nights, up from an average of 6.9 nights in October 2023.
The Inbound Tourism series estimates the number of overseas foreign resident visits to Ireland and the value of these visits to Ireland’s tourism industry. The series is based on the CSO Passenger Survey, which is carried out at Irish airports and seaports. Note that the Inbound Tourism series does not capture data on residents of Northern Ireland visiting Ireland as a tourism destination. However, the series does present estimates on the number of Northern Ireland resident trips to overseas destinations travelling via Ireland. The series also presents estimates of the number of trips made by Irish residents heading overseas (i.e. outbound tourism). To gain a better understanding of internal tourism in Ireland (i.e. both inbound and domestic tourism), users should refer to both Inbound Tourism (for inbound visitor data) and Household Travel Survey (for domestic travel data)
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 548,100 foreign residents completed their visits to Ireland in October 2024, a decrease of 5.1% compared with October 2023. These visitors spent 3.9 million nights in Ireland, a decrease of 2.1% compared with the same month in 2023. The visitors’ average length of stay was 7.1 nights, up 0.2 nights from October 2023. The visitors spent €534.3 million on their trips, an increase of 3.6% compared with October 2023. The average cost of their trips excluding fares in October 2024 was €975, whereas the average cost 12 months previously was €893.
| Inbound Tourism, October 2024 versus October 2023 | ||||
| Oct-23 | Oct-24 | Change | ||
| Visitors ('000s) | 577.4 | 548.1 | -29.3 | -5.1% |
| Nights ('000s) | 3,958.2 | 3,874.6 | -83.6 | -2.1% |
| Average length of stay (nights) | 6.9 | 7.1 | 0.2 | 3.1% |
| Expenditure - excluding fares (€million) | 515.8 | 534.3 | 18.5 | 3.6% |
| Mean expenditure - excluding fares (€) | 893 | 975 | 82 | 9.1% |
| X-axis label | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 400 | 451.9 |
| Feb | 337 | 433.3 |
| Mar | 425.2 | 521.8 |
| Apr | 461.9 | 549.1 |
| May | 573.3 | 622.3 |
| Jun | 619.9 | 669.5 |
| Jul | 650.2 | 655.4 |
| Aug | 737.6 | 763.6 |
| Sep | 582.1 | 578.1 |
| Oct | 577.4 | 548.1 |
| Nov | 447.5 | |
| Dec | 445.2 |
In total, 1,835,400 passengers departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2024, an increase of 3.1% compared with October 2023. The majority of departing passengers (60.8%) were Irish residents heading outbound for tourism or other purposes. A further 9.3% were same day visitors, comprising Northern Ireland residents heading outbound via an airport or seaport in the Republic of Ireland (3.5%), foreign resident transfer passengers (4.4%), or other foreign resident same day visitors (1.4%). Some 29.9% of the departing passengers were foreign resident overnight visitors, constituting 548,100 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 548,100 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2024, the highest proportion (32.6%) was from Great Britain, accounting for 178,500 of the visitors in total. The second highest proportion (21.7%) was from the United States, accounting for 119,100 visitors. The third highest proportion (8.1%) came from Germany comprising a further 44,300 visitors. By way of comparison, in October 2023 there were 204,700 visitors from Great Britain, 122,100 from the United States, and 44,900 from Germany.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2024 spent a total of 3,874,600 nights in the country. Broken down by residency, the Other Europe visitors spent more nights in the country than any other residency group, accounting for 1,532,700 (39.6%) of the nights. The next most important visitor group, in terms of nights spent, was United States of America & Canada, making up 1,114,400 (28.8%) of the total nights. Visitors from Great Britain were third most important, accounting for a further 772,500 (19.9%) of the nights. Other visitors made up 455,100 (11.7%) of the nights. Compared with October 2023, the total visitor nights in the country fell by 2.1%. The average length of stay increased, from 6.9 nights in October 2023 to 7.1 nights in October 2024.
Among the 548,100 foreign visitors departing Ireland on overseas routes in October 2024, more had come to holiday than for any other reason. Some 242,500 (44.2%) had holiday or leisure as the main reason for their trip. The next most likely reason was to visit family or friends, with 163,900 (29.9%) of the visitors coming for this purpose. A further 92,800 (16.9%) of the visitors had come for business or work-related reasons. Compared with October 2023, visitors for holiday or leisure decreased by 9.6% whilst those visiting family or friends fell by 9.7%, and those visiting for business or work rose by 1.3%.
Among the 548,100 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2024, some 259,700 (47.4%) stayed in a hotel. Another 197,500 (36.0%) of the visitors had used family/friend or their own property as their main accommodation type. A further 33,900 (6.2%) of the visitors used rented/self-catering as their main accommodation type, while 22,700 (4.1%) of the foreign visitors used guest house/bed & breakfast as their main accommodation type. By way of comparison, in October 2023 some 266,000 visitors stayed in a hotel, 218,200 stayed in their own property or the property of family or friends, 30,400 used guest house/bed & breakfast, and 30,100 stayed in rented/self-catering accommodation types.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2024 spent a total of €534.3 million, excluding fares, on their trips (an increase of 3.6% compared with October 2023).
The total amount spent by foreign visitors (including fares) was €718.3 million. 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 €268.2 million (37.3% of the total expenditure). The next costliest subheading was accommodation at €241.6 million (33.6% of the total). Fares cost a further €184.0 million (25.6% of the total). Lastly, prepayments (items paid in advance, such as car hire, pre-booked tickets, etc.) comprised just €24.5 million (3.4% of the total).
Overall, in October 2024 the typical foreign visitor spent €1,311 (€975 excluding fares) on their trip to Ireland, breaking down as €337 on their fare, €45 on prepayments, €441 on accommodation, and €489 on day-to-day expenses. In October 2023 the comparable mean expenditure on these items was €311, €52, €412, and €429 respectively.
| X-axis label | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 231 | 297 |
| Feb | 217.7 | 283.7 |
| Mar | 323.4 | 417 |
| Apr | 370.7 | 418.2 |
| May | 477.4 | 602.9 |
| Jun | 601.1 | 684.4 |
| Jul | 621.3 | 649.9 |
| Aug | 733.3 | 820.1 |
| Sep | 600 | 677 |
| Oct | 515.8 | 534.3 |
| Nov | 333.8 | |
| Dec | 412.9 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (29 November 2024) published Inbound Tourism October 2024.
Commenting on the release, Gregg Patrick, Statistician in the Tourism and Travel Division, said:
“The results show that 548,100 foreign visitors departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2024, a decrease of 5.1% compared with October 2023.
The visitors' expenditure in Ireland (i.e. excluding fares) was €534.3 million, an increase of 3.6% compared with October 2023.
The most important tourism market, in terms of revenue generated was North America, with visitors from the United States and Canada accounting for 42.5% of all visitor expenditure. This was followed by continental Europe (34.4%), Great Britain (15.9%), and the rest of the world (7.2%).
The most frequent reason for their journey (44.2%) was for holiday or leisure purposes.
More of the visitors stayed in hotels (47.4%) than in any other accommodation type, and the typical visit lasted 7.1 nights.”