Some 604,500 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in September 2025, an increase of 5% when compared with the same month in 2024 and up 4% compared with September 2023.
The average length of stay for foreign resident overnight visitors was 7.1 nights, down from an average of 7.8 nights in September 2024 and 8.0 nights in September 2023.
Visitors stayed a total of 4.3 million nights in the country, a fall of 4% from September 2024, and a drop of 7% when compared with September 2023.
The visitors spent over €570 million on their trips (excluding fares), down 16% when compared with September 2024, and a decrease of 5% compared with September 2023.
The largest contingent of visitors came from Great Britain (36%), followed by visitors from the United States (25%).
The most frequent reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday (43%).
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 604,500 foreign residents completed their visits to Ireland in September 2025, an increase of 5% compared with September 2024. These visitors spent 4.3 million nights in Ireland, showing a decrease of 4% with the same month in 2024. The visitors’ average length of stay was 7.1 nights, down from an average of 7.8 nights in September 2024. The visitors spent €570.5 million on their trips, a decline of 16% compared with September 2024. The average cost of their trips excluding fares in September 2025 was €944, whereas the average cost in September 2024 was €1,171.
| Inbound Tourism, September 2025 versus September 2024 | ||||
| Sep-24 | Sep-25 | Change | ||
| Visitors ('000s) | 578.1 | 604.5 | 26.4 | 4.6% |
| Nights ('000s) | 4,502.9 | 4,318.4 | -184.5 | -4.1% |
| Average length of stay (nights) | 7.8 | 7.1 | -0.7 | -8.3% |
| Expenditure - excluding fares (€million) | 676.9 | 570.5 | -106.4 | -15.7% |
| Mean expenditure - excluding fares (€) | 1,171 | 944 | -227 | -19.4% |
| 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 | |
| Nov | 447.5 | 407.7 | |
| Dec | 445.2 | 390.7 |
In total, 2,081,500 passengers departed Ireland on overseas routes in September 2025, a 4% increase compared with September 2024. The majority of departing passengers (62.7%) were Irish residents heading outbound for tourism or other purposes. A further 8.3% were same day visitors, comprising Northern Ireland residents heading outbound via an airport or seaport in Ireland (3.6%), foreign resident transfer passengers (3.8%), or other foreign resident same day visitors (0.8%). Some 29.0% of the departing passengers were foreign resident overnight visitors, constituting 604,500 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 604,500 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in September 2025, the highest proportion (36.1%) was from Great Britain, accounting for 218,400 of the visitors in total. The second highest proportion (24.8%) was from the United States, accounting for 149,600 visitors. The third highest proportion (7.1%) came from Germany comprising a further 42,900 visitors. By way of comparison, in September 2024 there were 186,700 visitors from Great Britain, 141,800 from the United States, and 48,200 from Germany.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in September 2025 spent a total of 4,318,400 nights in the country. Broken down by residency, the United States & Canada visitors spent more nights in the country than any other residency group, accounting for 1,377,000 (31.9%) of the nights. The next most important visitor group, in terms of nights spent, was Other European visitors (i.e. European overseas visitors excluding Great Britain) making up 1,287,800 (29.8%) of the total nights. Visitors from Great Britain were the third most important, accounting for a further 1,105,300 (25.6%) of the nights. Other visitors made up 548,200 (12.7%) of the nights. Compared with September 2024, the total visitor nights in the country dipped by 4.0%. The average length of stay decreased, from 7.8 nights in September 2024 to 7.1 nights in September 2025.
Among the 604,500 foreign visitors departing Ireland on overseas routes in September 2025, more had come for holiday than for any other reason, with some 262,300 (43.4%) stating holiday as the main reason for their trip. The next most common reason was for visiting family and friends, with 186,000 (30.8%) of the visitors coming for this purpose. A further 92,800 (15.4%) of the visitors had come for business or work-related reasons. Compared with September 2024, visitors travelling for a holiday fell by 4.3%, visiting family and friends increased by 13.0%, and those visiting for business or work rose by 7.8%.
Among the 604,500 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in September 2025, some 275,000 (45.5%) stayed in a hotel as their main accommodation type. Another 216,100 (35.8%) of the visitors stayed in their own property or with family and friends as their main accommodation type. Some 41,100 (6.8%) of the foreign visitors used rented/self-catering as their main accommodation type, while 36,300 (6.0%) of the visitors used guest house/bed & breakfast accommodation as their main accommodation type. By way of comparison, in September 2024 some 275,900 visitors stayed in a hotel, 197,900 stayed in their own property or with family and friends, 41,100 stayed in rented/self-catering accommodation types and 35,200 used guest house/bed & breakfast accommodation.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in September 2025 spent a total of €570.5 million, excluding fares, on their trips (a decrease of 15.7% compared with September 2024).
The total amount spent by foreign visitors (including fares) was €778.2 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 €293.6 million (37.7% of the total expenditure). The next costliest subheading was accommodation at €244.9 million (31.5% of the total). Fares cost a further €207.7 million (26.7% of the total). Lastly, prepayments (items paid in advance, such as car hire, pre-booked tickets, etc.) comprised just €32.0 million (4.1% of the total).
Overall, in September 2025 the typical foreign visitor spent €1,287 (€944 excluding fares) on their trip to Ireland, breaking down as €344 on their fare, €53 on prepayments, €405 on accommodation, and €486 on day-to-day expenses. In September 2024, the comparable mean expenditure on these items was €413, €84, €525, and €562, 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 | |
| Nov | 333.8 | 315.9 | |
| Dec | 412.9 | 328.6 |
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (29 October 2025) published Inbound Tourism September 2025.
Commenting on the release, Edward Duffy, Statistician in the Tourism and Travel Division, said:
“The results show that 604,500 foreign visitors departed Ireland on overseas routes in September 2025, an increase of 5% compared with September 2024 and up 4% when compared with September 2023. The number of nights spent in Ireland by foreign visitors in September was just over 4.3 million nights, showing a drop of 4% when compared with September 2024 and down 7% compared with September 2023.
In September 2025, the greatest number of visitors came from Great Britain (36%), followed by North America (30%), Continental Europe (29%) and the Rest of the World (5%). Comparing visitor numbers in September 2025 with September 2024, those from Great Britain were up 17%, North America (+7%), Continental Europe (-6%), and from the Rest of the World (-16%).
The visitors' expenditure in Ireland (excluding fares) was more than €570 million in September 2025. Visitors from Great Britian accounted for €116 million (20%) of this spend, Continental Europe for €157 million (28%), North America for €243 million (43%), and visitors from the Rest of the World for €55 million (10%). Taken together, this represented a fall of 16% when compared with September 2024, and a decrease of 5% when compared with September 2023.
The most frequent reason for the visitors' trips was for holiday or leisure (43%), while almost one in three trips (31%) were to visit friends or relatives.”