Some 568,900 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in October 2025, an increase of 4% when compared with the same month in 2024 and down 1% compared with October 2023.
The number of overseas visitors in the 10 months to October 2025 was just over 5.4 million, a decrease of 6.4% compared with almost 5.8 million for the same period in 2024.
The average length of stay for foreign resident overnight visitors was 7.1 nights in October 2025, the same as October 2024 and up from 6.9 nights in October 2023.
Visitors stayed a total of 4.0 million nights in the country in October 2025, a rise of 4% from October 2024, and up 2% when compared with October 2023.
In October 2025, visitors spent €529 million on their trips (excluding fares), down 1% when compared with October 2024, and up 3% compared with October 2023.
In the first 10 months of 2025, expenditure (excluding fares) by foreign visitors was estimated at €4.7 billion, 12.7% lower than the estimated spend of €5.4 billion from January to October 2024.
The largest contingent of visitors came from Great Britain (34%), followed by visitors from the United States (22%).
The most frequent reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday (41%).
The Inbound Tourism release is published every month and provides unique and timely insights on visitor trips to Ireland.
This release is based on the CSO Passenger Survey which is collected from approximately 13,000 departing passengers per month (of which typically 3,000-4,000 are foreign visitors) at the country’s international ports and airports by a team of dedicated CSO Tourist Enumerator staff. The data collected is calibrated against passenger flow data provided by the ports and airports.
Users should note that visitors are counted not by nationality but by country of residence, as such, foreign passport holders who are normally resident in Ireland are included as domestic travellers and not foreign visitors, while Irish passport holders who reside abroad and make a trip to Ireland are counted as visitors.
Foreign visitors in the context of this release refers to overseas residents who have stayed at least one night in Ireland. Visits from residents of Northern Ireland are not captured. Foreign visitors who depart Ireland via the airports and seaports of Northern Ireland are not captured in the survey.
To learn more about the methodology, please see the accompanying FAQ.
Some 568,900 foreign residents completed their visits to Ireland in October 2025, an increase of 4% compared with October 2024. These visitors spent 4.0 million nights in Ireland, showing an increase of 4% with the same month in 2024. The visitors’ average length of stay was 7.1 nights, the same as October 2024. The visitors spent €528.8 million on their trips, a decline of 1% compared with October 2024. The average cost of their trips excluding fares in October 2025 was €929, whereas the average cost in October 2024 was €975.
| Inbound Tourism, October 2025 versus October 2024 | ||||
| Oct-24 | Oct-25 | Change | ||
| Visitors ('000s) | 548.1 | 568.9 | 20.8 | 3.8% |
| Nights ('000s) | 3,874.6 | 4,033.1 | 158.5 | 4.1% |
| Average length of stay (nights) | 7.1 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 0.3% |
| Expenditure - excluding fares (€million) | 534.3 | 528.8 | -5.5 | -1.0% |
| Mean expenditure - excluding fares (€) | 975 | 929 | -46 | -4.6% |
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Jan | 400 | 451.9 | 338.9 |
| Feb | 337 | 433.3 | 304.3 |
| Mar | 425.2 | 521.8 | 441.2 |
| Apr | 461.9 | 549.1 | 528.1 |
| May | 573.3 | 622.3 | 560.5 |
| Jun | 619.9 | 669.5 | 654.5 |
| Jul | 650.2 | 655.4 | 646.4 |
| Aug | 737.6 | 763.6 | 772.8 |
| Sep | 582.1 | 578.1 | 604.5 |
| Oct | 577.4 | 548.1 | 568.9 |
| Nov | 447.5 | 407.7 | |
| Dec | 445.2 | 390.7 |
In total, 2,015,000 passengers departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2025, a 10% increase compared with October 2024. The majority of departing passengers (62.2%) were Irish residents heading outbound for tourism or other purposes. A further 9.6% were same day visitors, comprising Northern Ireland residents heading outbound via an airport or seaport in Ireland (4.6%), foreign resident transfer passengers (3.8%), or other foreign resident same day visitors (1.1%). Some 28.2% of the departing passengers were foreign resident overnight visitors, constituting 568,900 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 568,900 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2025, the highest proportion (34.2%) was from Great Britain, accounting for 194,800 of the visitors in total. The second highest proportion (22.4%) was from the United States, accounting for 127,500 visitors. The third highest proportion (6.9%) came from Germany comprising a further 39,400 visitors. By way of comparison, in October 2024 there were 178,500 visitors from Great Britain, 119,100 from the United States, and 44,300 from Germany.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2025 spent a total of 4,033,100 nights in the country. Broken down by residency, Other European visitors (i.e. European overseas visitors excluding Great Britain) spent more nights in the country than any other residency group, accounting for 1,574,700 (39.0%) of the nights. The next most important visitor group, in terms of nights spent, was USA & Canada making up 1,139,800 (28.3%) of the total nights. Visitors from Great Britain were the third most important, accounting for a further 857,200 (21.3%) of the nights. Other visitors made up 461,400 (11.4%) of the nights. Compared with October 2024, the total visitor nights in the country rose by 4.0%. The average length of stay stayed the same, with 7.1 nights in both October 2024 and October 2025.
Among the 568,900 foreign visitors departing Ireland on overseas routes in October 2025, more had come for holiday than for any other reason, with some 232,200 (40.8%) stating holiday as the main reason for their trip. The next most common reason was for visiting family and friends, with 185,900 (32.7%) of the visitors coming for this purpose. A further 96,300 (16.9%) of the visitors had come for business or work-related reasons. Compared with October 2024, visitors travelling for a holiday fell by 4.2%, visiting family and friends increased by 13.4%, and those visiting for business or work rose by 3.7%.
Among the 568,900 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2025, some 277,000 (48.7%) stayed in a hotel as their main accommodation type. Another 202,100 (35.5%) of the visitors stayed in their own property or with family and friends as their main accommodation type. Some 34,200 (6.0%) of the foreign visitors used rented/self-catering as their main accommodation type, while 24,400 (4.3%) of the visitors used guest house/bed & breakfast accommodation as their main accommodation type. By way of comparison, in October 2024 some 259,700 visitors stayed in a hotel, 197,500 stayed in their own property or with family and friends, 33,900 stayed in rented/self-catering accommodation types and 22,700 used guest house/bed & breakfast accommodation.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2025 spent a total of €528.8 million, excluding fares, on their trips (a decrease of 1.0% compared with October 2024).
The total amount spent by foreign visitors (including fares) was €698.8 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 €272.0 million (38.9% of the total expenditure). The next costliest subheading was accommodation at €237.2 million (33.9% of the total). Fares cost a further €170.0 million (24.3% of the total). Lastly, prepayments (items paid in advance, such as car hire, pre-booked tickets, etc.) comprised just €19.5 million (2.8% of the total).
Overall, in October 2025 the typical foreign visitor spent €1,228 (€929 excluding fares) on their trip to Ireland, breaking down as €299 on their fare, €34 on prepayments, €417 on accommodation, and €478 on day-to-day expenses. In October 2024, the comparable mean expenditure on these items was €337, €45, €441, and €489, respectively.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Jan | 231.1 | 297 | 214 |
| Feb | 217.7 | 283.7 | 195.6 |
| Mar | 323.4 | 417 | 325.7 |
| Apr | 370.7 | 418.2 | 375.4 |
| May | 477.4 | 602.9 | 477.2 |
| Jun | 601 | 684.4 | 646.5 |
| Jul | 621.3 | 649.9 | 624.1 |
| Aug | 733.2 | 820.1 | 743.7 |
| Sep | 600 | 676.9 | 570.5 |
| Oct | 515.8 | 534.3 | 528.8 |
| Nov | 333.8 | 315.9 | |
| Dec | 412.9 | 328.6 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (27 November 2025) published Inbound Tourism October 2025.
Commenting on the release, Edward Duffy, Statistician in the Tourism and Travel Division, said:
“The results show that 568,900 foreign visitors departed Ireland on overseas routes in October 2025, an increase of 4% compared with October 2024 and down 1% when compared with October 2023. The number of nights spent in Ireland by foreign visitors in October was just over 4.0 million nights, showing a rise of 4% when compared with October 2024 and up 2% compared with October 2023.
In October 2025, the greatest number of visitors came from Continental Europe (35%), followed by Great Britain (34%), North America (26%) and the Rest of the World (4%). Comparing visitor numbers in October 2025 with October 2024, those from Continental Europe were down 3%, Great Britain (+9%), North America (+9%), and from the Rest of the World (-11%).
The visitors' expenditure in Ireland (excluding fares) was €529 million in October 2025. Visitors from North America for €202 million (38%) of this spend, Continental Europe for €181 million (34%), Great Britain accounted for €102 million (19%) and visitors from the Rest of the World for €44 million (8%). Taken together, this represented a fall of 1% when compared with October 2024, and an increase of 3% when compared with October 2023.
The most frequent reason for the visitors' trips was for holiday or leisure (41%), while one in three trips (33%) were to visit friends or relatives.”