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For more information on this release:
E-mail: tourism@cso.ie Brendan Curtin (+353) 21 453 5120 James Mahon (+353) 21 453 5463 Tim Leane (+353) 21 453 5294
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 2009-5376

This release has been compiled during the COVID-19 crisis. The results contained in this release reflect some of the impacts of the COVID-19 situation.

CSO statistical release, , 11am

Household Travel Survey

Quarter 4 and Year 2021

Domestic Trips  Outbound Trips
 201920202021 201920202021
Trips '00011,6217,7215,663 9,3502,3652,276
Nights '00029,46923,51817,886 66,92715,59717,443
Expenditure €Million2,146.61,553.91,290.7 8,252.62,122.11,958.1

Irish residents took less than six million domestic overnight trips in 2021

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Domestic Travel

  • Irish residents took 5.7 million domestic overnight trips in 2021, a decrease of one quarter (-26.7%) when compared with the same period in 2020. These trips resulted in almost 18 million bed nights, of which 22.9% were spent in hotel accommodation. See table 4.
  • Total expenditure on domestic trips in 2021 amounted to €1.3 billion. Those on holidays accounted for €998 million of this, while those visiting friends or relatives spent €176 million. When compared with 2019, expenditure on holidays fell by one quarter (-25.3%) while spending on trips to visit friends or relatives was down by 52.5%. See table 2.
  • In the fourth quarter of 2021 Irish residents took 1.6 million domestic overnight trips. This was an increase of forty percent (+39.6%) when compared with the same period in 2020. These trips resulted in almost 4 million bed nights, and expenditure of €315 million. See table 1.

Outbound Travel 

  • There were almost 2.3 million outbound overnight trips undertaken by Irish residents in 2021. This represented a slight decrease of 3.7% when compared with 2020. These trips accounted for over 17 million bed nights and spending of just under €2 billion. See table 5.
Table 1 Domestic travel by Irish Residents - Number of Trips, Number of Nights, Expenditure & Average Length of Stay, Q1 2019 - Q4 20211
'000
 20172018201920202021201920202021
      Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-DecJan-Mar2Apr-Jun3Jul-SepOct-DecJan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec
Total Domestic - Trips9,62610,91911,6217,7215,6632,2232,8583,8982,6412,1602374,1881,1362789902,8081,587
Total Domestic - Nights25,53928,39329,46923,51817,8864,3746,79412,7135,5894,53387514,7773,3331,1232,96810,0433,752
 
€ million
Total Domestic - Expenditure1,879.12,006.02,146.61,553.91,290.7361.9501.7824.9458.1359.827.5994.4172.233.5166.1776.0315.1
 
Nights
Average Length of Stay2.72.62.53.03.2 2.02.43.32.1 2.13.73.52.9 4.03.03.62.4
1Data for 2018 - 2020 is interim and may be subject to future revision.
2Data for March 2020 was estimated.
3Data for Quarter 2 2020 was estimated.
Table 2 Domestic travel by Irish Residents - Number of Trips, Number of Nights, Expenditure & Average Length of Stay by Reason for Journey, Q1 2019 - Q4 20212
'000
 20172018201920202021201920202021
       Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-Mar3Apr-Jun4Jul-SepOct-DecJan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec
Total Domestic - Trips9,62610,91911,6217,7215,6632,2232,8583,8982,6412,1602374,1881,1362789902,8081,587
Holiday4,8865,3235,8194,1553,1649551,4632,2201,180941...2,92628644881,982690
Business426473551243165121146100184136...444023273283
Visiting Friends/Relatives3,0963,7593,8472,6091,8808668811,0951,006810...1,120557151390669670
Other11,2181,3641,404715454281369483271273...9925310085125143
 
Total Domestic - Nights25,53928,39329,46923,51817,8864,3746,79412,7135,5894,53387514,7773,3331,1232,96810,0433,752
Holiday13,84415,05816,00313,35110,8351,8593,7917,9482,4051,901...10,801633241,4257,9221,464
Business745779879595368180227154318238...115167766760164
Visiting Friends/Relatives7,6899,0008,8367,4495,2311,7921,7893,1022,1521,698...3,6331,6746431,1231,7391,727
Other13,2613,5573,7522,1241,4535429861,508715695...228859381353322397
 
€ million
Total Domestic - Expenditure1,879.12,006.02,146.61,553.91,290.7361.9501.7824.9458.1359.827.5994.4172.233.5166.1776.0315.1
Holiday1,129.21,232.61,335.91,127.9998.4211.5302.8555.6266.0208.7...843.073.13.5112.8680.0202.0
Business123.3116.9124.962.441.326.235.523.639.634.6...12.411.04.55.911.419.5
Visiting Friends/Relatives353.1352.9371.8230.4176.470.378.3132.091.353.9...122.145.512.632.266.864.8
Other1273.4303.6314.1133.274.654.085.2113.861.262.7...16.942.512.915.217.828.7
 
Nights
Average Length of Stay2.72.62.53.03.22.02.43.32.12.13.73.52.94.03.03.62.4
Holiday2.82.82.83.23.41.92.63.62.02.0...3.72.25.92.94.02.1
Business1.71.61.62.42.21.51.61.51.71.7...2.64.13.32.51.92.0
Visiting Friends/Relatives2.52.42.32.92.82.12.02.82.12.1...3.23.04.32.92.62.6
Other12.72.62.73.03.2 1.92.73.12.6 2.5...2.33.4 3.84.22.62.8
1 Other includes Education & Training, Sporting Events, Work/Looking for work, Health & Medical, Religious, Shopping and other reasons not elsewhere specified.
2 Data for 2018 -2020 is interim and may be subject to future revision.
3 Data for March 2020 was estimated.
4 Data for Quarter 2 was estimated and detailed breakdowns are only valid in terms of their input into the annual totals.
Table 4 Domestic travel by Irish Residents - Number of Trips, Number of Nights & Average Length of Stay by Type of Accommodation, Q1 2019 - Q4 20212
'000
 20172018201920202021 201920202021
       Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-Mar3Apr-Jun4Jul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec
Total Domestic - Trips9,62610,91911,6217,7215,6632,2232,8583,8982,6412,1602374,1881,1362789902,8081,587
Hotel 3,8944,2264,5532,6231,8241,0441,0411,2481,2209201,36232516208971629
Self Catering/Rented House895853900949660100200479120168668794790394130
Friends/Relatives3,0963,8254,0742,8412,1018909501,1951,0388561,250595164449836652
Other11,7412,0152,0951,3091,07818966797626321690813751243607177
 
Total Domestic - Nights25,53928,39329,46923,51817,8864,3746,79412,7135,5894,53387514,7773,3331,1232,96810,0433,752
Hotel7,2287,8378,2975,4274,0941,7311,9582,5772,0321,5473,284567304372,5421,085
Self Catering/Rented House3,9523,5373,5034,5313,6672677372,1563435403,3983992723932,511491
Friends/Relatives8,3059,45910,1568,7696,4641,8812,1273,7712,3771,9044,4911,8207101,4092,6081,737
Other16,0547,5607,5144,7913,6614951,9724,2108375423,6045471117292,382439
 
Nights
Average Length of Stay2.72.62.53.03.22.02.43.32.12.13.73.52.94.03.03.62.4
Hotel 1.91.91.82.12.21.71.92.11.71.72.41.71.92.12.61.7
Self Catering/Rented House4.44.13.94.85.62.73.74.52.93.25.15.05.84.46.43.8
Friends/Relatives2.72.52.53.13.12.12.23.22.32.23.63.14.33.13.12.7
Other13.53.83.63.73.4 2.63.04.33.2 2.54.04.0 2.23.03.92.5
1Other includes stays in Caravan/Camping, Guesthouse/B&B, Own Holiday Home, Health Farm/Spa, Ship/Cruise and other types of accommodation not elsewhere specified.
2Data for 2018 - 2020 is interim and may be subject to future revision.
3Data for March 2020 was estimated.
4Data for Quarter 2 was estimated and detailed breakdowns are only valid in terms of their input into the annual totals.
Table 5 Outbound travel by Irish Residents - Number of Trips, Number of Nights, Expenditure & Average Length of Stay, Q1 2019 - Q4 20211
'000
 20172018201920202021 2019202022021
       Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec
Total Outbound - Trips8,1718,6439,3502,3652,2761,8112,5552,9052,0791,57560530200 1081689071,094
Total Outbound - Nights57,69860,62366,92715,59717,44311,36416,84825,86712,84810,0824273,8201,268 1,3671,7067,1167,254
 
€ million
Total Outbound - Expenditure6,890.77,434.68,252.62,122.11,958.11,579.52,194.42,833.31,645.41,517.238.2411.5155.1 63.282.8862.8949.4
 
Nights
Average Length of Stay7.17.07.26.67.7 6.36.68.96.2 6.47.27.26.3 12.710.27.86.6
1Data for 2018 - 2020 is interim and may be subject to future revision. A new calibration step linked to departing Air & Sea Travel patterns has led to revisions in data for Q2 2020 and Q1- Q3 2021.
2Data for March 2020 was estimated. Data for Quarter 2, Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 was also estimated.
Table 6a Outbound travel by Irish Residents - Number of Trips, Number of Nights & Average Length of Stay by Region Visited, Q1 2019 - Q4 20213
'000
 2017201820192020202120192020420215
       Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec
Total Outbound - Trips8,1718,6439,3502,3652,2761,8112,5552,9052,0791,575605302001081689071,094
EU17,1167,4438,0659951,4952,2552,5741,7401,2365448359534
Other Europe21511932081,138435361516254111498475
USA and Canada5585465844812312017716309138
Other 3464624949614912792125143004947
 
Total Outbound - Nights57,69860,62366,92715,59717,44311,36416,84825,86712,84810,0824273,8201,2681,3671,7067,1167,254
EU144,04844,31949,8869,5097,66413,11420,7788,3306,0261,0811,1983,6723,558
Other Europe21,0751,6181,3445,4622043624912883412864992,4892,188
USA and Canada6,9296,3477,9523551,1591,5602,6892,543095341
Other 5,6458,3387,7452,1182,3361,8121,9091,6872504009501,167
 
Nights
Average Length of Stay7.17.07.26.67.76.36.68.96.26.47.27.26.312.710.27.86.6
EU16.26.06.29.65.15.88.14.84.920.124.810.26.7
Other Europe27.18.46.54.84.76.98.15.65.55.34.55.04.6
USA and Canada12.411.613.67.49.413.015.215.60.01.04.09.0
Other 16.318.115.722.2 15.614.320.713.5 17.50.00.019.425.0
1From 1st July 2013, EU includes Croatia. From 1st January 2021, EU exludes UK.
2Other Europe includes Croatia until the 30th June 2013. Other Europe includes UK from 1st January 2021.
3Data for 2018 - 2020 is interim and may be subject to future revision. A new calibration step linked to departing Air & Sea Travel patterns has led to revisions in data for Q2 2020 and Q1- Q3 2021.
4Data for March 2020 was estimated. Data for Quarter 2, Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 was also estimated.
5Due to restrictions in international travel in 2021 the information on destinations should be treated with caution due to the small cell sizes in our samples.
Table 7 Outbound travel by Irish Residents - Number of Trips, Number of Nights, Expenditure & Average Length of Stay by Reason for Journey, Q1 2019 - Q4 20212
'000
 201720182019202020212019202032021
       Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec
Total Outbound - Trips8,1718,6439,3502,3652,2761,8112,5552,9052,0791,575605302001081689071,094
Holiday4,9125,1555,5661,0809201,5532,0331,060812647523504
Business753854892171239225164264191101639107
Visiting Friends/Relatives1,7301,8841,9367424534904815124132336284400
Other177675095628319928722724415969696283
 
Total Outbound - Nights57,69860,62366,92715,59717,44311,36416,84825,86712,84810,0824273,8201,2681,3671,7067,1167,254
Holiday36,69140,06743,7837,1566,41611,47719,0116,8784,934162953,8483,050
Business2,7053,1293,3441,15190788160994876310049205796
Visiting Friends/Relatives11,70812,95412,6015,1873,2912,7943,7212,7953,607731772,2232,714
Other16,5934,4727,1983,9497501,6952,5262,2277781,0311,385839693
 
€ million
Total Outbound - Expenditure6,890.77,434.68,252.62,122.11,958.11,579.52,194.42,833.31,645.41,517.238.2411.5155.163.282.8862.8949.4
Holiday4,337.64,892.95,343.0998.3877.81,493.12,120.8851.2833.04.216.6376.5600.9
Business913.81,055.61,087.6177.3310.2251.7201.7324.0296.515.814.061.785.8
Visiting Friends/Relatives910.8963.61,028.5518.8249.9268.3264.7245.5277.23.65.6348.1161.4
Other1728.5522.5793.6263.8 141.6181.2246.0224.7 110.539.546.676.5101.2
 
Nights
Average Length of Stay7.17.07.26.67.76.36.68.96.26.47.27.26.312.710.27.86.6
Holiday7.57.87.96.67.07.49.46.56.125.02.07.46.0
Business3.63.73.86.73.83.93.73.64.010.33.05.37.5
Visiting Friends/Relatives6.86.96.57.07.35.77.75.58.73.25.07.86.8
Other18.56.07.514.0 3.85.911.29.1 4.9 15.020.013.68.4
1Other includes Education & Training, Sporting Events, Work/Looking for work, Health & Medical, Religious, Shopping and other reasons not elsewhere specified.
2Data for 2018 - 2020 is interim and may be subject to future revision. A new calibration step linked to departing Air & Sea Travel patterns has led to revisions in data for Q2 2020 and Q1- Q3 2021.
3Data for March 2020 was estimated. Data for Quarter 2, Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 was also estimated.
Table 9 Outbound travel by Irish Residents - Number of Trips, Number of Nights & Average Length of Stay by Type of Accommodation, Q1 2019 - Q4 20212
'000
 201720182019202020212019202032021
       Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec Jan-MarApr-JunJul-SepOct-Dec
Total Outbound - Trips8,1718,6439,3502,3652,2761,8112,5552,9052,0791,575605302001081689071,094
Hotel 3,7064,2014,3879409621,1881,1131,1258142455324537
Self Catering/Rented House1,5981,4261,926276312467776370245153213692
Friends/Relatives1,7471,9311,8958003895415634023786670289375
Other11,1211,0841,14326114836045318313721115890
 
Total Outbound - Nights57,69860,62366,92715,59717,44311,36416,84825,86712,84810,0824273,8201,2681,3671,7067,1167,254
Hotel 19,43922,25723,2954,8364,6886,3417,2914,9753,6711421271,9762,591
Self Catering/Rented House15,32413,04616,6162,5662,2323,6017,9912,7921,7751183711,379698
Friends/Relatives12,55814,69514,6347,6943,4153,5155,0962,6093,4711,1051,1762,5472,867
Other110,37610,62412,3812,3461,0283,3915,4892,4731,1652331,2141,097
 
Nights
Average Length of Stay7.17.07.26.67.76.36.68.96.26.47.27.26.312.710.27.86.6
Hotel 5.25.35.35.14.95.36.64.44.55.82.36.14.8
Self Catering/Rented House9.69.18.69.37.17.710.37.57.27.711.510.17.6
Friends/Relatives7.27.67.79.68.86.59.06.59.216.716.88.87.6
Other19.39.810.89.0 7.09.412.113.6 8.5 1.03.17.712.2
1Other includes stays in Caravan/Camping, Guesthouse/B&B, Own Holiday Home, Health Farm/Spa, Ship/Cruise and other types of accommodation not elsewhere specified.
2Data for 2018 - 2020 is interim and may be subject to future revision. A new calibration step linked to departing Air & Sea Travel patterns has led to revisions in data for Q2 2020 and Q1- Q3 2021.
3Data for March 2020 was estimated. Data for Quarter 2, Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 was also estimated.

Background Notes

Periodicity

Annual/Quarterly.

Scope

Domestic and Outbound travel patterns which involve overnight stays and same-day trips, and associated variables, of all residents of the Republic of Ireland. 

Coverage

All private households.

Purpose

The purpose of the Household Travel Survey (HTS) is to measure domestic and outbound travel patterns involving overnight and same-day trips and including associated details (expenditure, purpose of trip, type of accommodation used etc.) of Irish residents.  The survey is one of several Central Statistics Office (CSO) tourism surveys conducted to comply with the requirements of Council Directive 95/57/EC of 23 November 1995 concerning the collection of statistical information in the field of tourism for data to the end of 2011 and Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2011 concerning European statistics on tourism and repealing Council Directive 95/57/EC in respect of data from the beginning of 2012.

Data Collection

Information is collected via postal survey of private households on a monthly basis by the Central Statistics Office.

Following the introduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions in March 2020, the HTS survey was temporarily suspended. The survey resumed initially in Quarter 3 2020 as an all-island travel survey only.  

In January 2021, the HTS postal survey form was split into two separate forms using two separate samples. The first form (Form A) asks questions of selected households about overnight trips and day trips (same-day trips) taken in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. The second form (Form B) asks questions about overnight trips and day trips (same-day trips) taken outside the island of Ireland. It does not ask about trips in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. In practical terms this means that a selected household will only receive and be asked to complete one of the abovementioned survey forms. 

In terms of published HTS results on domestic travel, these only include data relating to household travel within the Republic of Ireland. Trips to Northern Ireland are included under outbound tourism for results purposes (see definitions for both domestic tourism and outbound tourism below).

Estimated Data for 2020

Due to Covid-19 restrictions the collection of all travel information from Irish households was suspended for Q2 2020, and no information on outbound travel (excluding Northern Ireland) was collected in Q3 2020 and Q4 2020. To comply with the Regulation (EU) No 629/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the collection of tourism statistics, the CSO has now generated estimated data on travel for these periods.

In order to estimate HTS domestic travel data for Q2 2020, the period Q1 2021 was considered a credible 'donor' period, since domestic travel restrictions were broadly similar in both quarters. Data collected in the Q1 2021 HTS was calibrated up to population totals for Q2 2020, but while the two lockdowns had similar restrictions they were not exactly the same in terms of domestic activity. To account for this and further refine the estimation for Q2 2020 travel, national traffic counter data from Q2 2020 and Q1 2021 was used to gauge the difference between both periods and produce an additional adjustment to the grossing factors in the final file. The estimated Q2 2020 data is considered valid in terms of the overall total of trips, nights and expenditure for the quarter, but the detailed breakdowns by variables such as reason for journey, type of accommodation or region visited are only valid in terms of their input into the 2020 annual totals for these statistics.

The estimation of outbound trips for Q2 2020 - Q4 2020 proved more problematic since travel restrictions varied considerably across this time period in terms of national rules and travel regulations being imposed by other countries. Other CSO surveys on international travel which the HTS used for calibration purposes, such as the Overseas Travel Survey and the Passenger Card Inquiry were also suspended during this period. 

In the absence of alternative data, an experimental approach was adopted to compile HTS outbound trip data for Q2 2020 - Q4 2020.

This involved the use of data from Q1 2021 for outbound trips for Q2 2020 similar to what was undertaken for domestic trips, and the use of data from Q3 2019 and Q4 2019 (excluding trips to Northern Ireland) as a substitute for Q3 2020 and Q4 2020 respectively. These datasets provided the basis for generating estimated data for outbound trips which was then adjusted using Air and Sea travel data to generate grossing factors for the 2020 quarterly periods, and overall trends similar to those in the Air and Sea departing data between 2019 and 2020.

For overall outbound trips, nights and expenditure the results of this estimation are considered useful in terms of quarterly and annual changes and allow a continuous time-series in the HTS results. However, the detailed breakdowns of these totals are not of sufficient quality to be released. A review of this estimation process will take place in the future if alternative information become available.

Sample Design

The HTS is a random stratified sample. Since January 2020, each month over 4,600 households (or approximately 0.3% of all private households) are randomly selected from the CSO’s household register.  This register is based on data from public sector databases used for statistical purposes by the CSO under the Statistics Act, 1993. Prior to this the Electoral Register was used to select the sample, where the selection was stratified by District Electoral Division.

The sample size for some subcategories/breakdowns can be small and therefore caution should be taken when analysing this data. 

Definitions

Trip

A trip refers to the travel by a person from the time of departure from his/her usual residence until he/she returns: it thus refers to a round trip.  A trip is made up of visits to different places.  Only trips which were not part of regular travel are recorded in the HTS.

Included are all overnight and same-day trips for personal or professional purposes that ended in the reference month e.g. holidays, visiting friends or relatives, business or professional trips, sporting or religious events, medical visits, shopping trips.

Excluded are all weekly or more frequent trips that are part of normal routine such as visits to parent’s home each weekend, weekly visits to hospital, travel to place of work, and regular routes by commercial travellers.  Same-day trips taken that were less than 30km from usual residence are also excluded.

Trip Cost

The cost of each trip includes all expenditure for each trip (e.g. air fares, taxi fares, accommodation costs, food and drink costs) regardless of the method of payment. The cost covers both payments made by all household members in the travel party and all expenses paid for or reimbursed by others (e.g. employer).

Excluded from trip costs are any expenditure on housing, land, real estate, goods for resale, donations to charities/institutions or cash presents/payments to relatives and friends who are not part of the travel party.

Example of an Overnight trip (Form A) – All-island (Domestic including Northern Ireland)

Joe is a 42 year old Irish resident from Cork. He returned from a 7 night holiday break in Mayo where he stayed in a hotel.  He took the bus to Mayo and his total expenditure on the trip was €1,876. 

To calculate the total expenditure on each trip the following categories are used: accommodation costs, transport costs, package tour costs, expenditure on valuables, expenditure on durable consumer goods and other expenditure such as meals, drinks, shopping and entertainment. 

In the example Joe spent €875 on hotel accommodation for the 7 nights.  Transport by bus to and from Mayo cost €49 and he spent an additional €30 on taxi journeys during his trip.  He bought an electronic tablet for €200. Additionally, while on his trip he spent €500 on food and drink, €167 on shopping and €55 for a fishing excursion.

Example of a Same-day trip (Form A) - All-island (Domestic including Northern Ireland)

Joe is a 42 year old Irish resident from Cork. He took a same-day trip to Wexford for leisure, where he spent 5 hours in the town.  He drove to Wexford and his total expenditure on the trip was €262. 

In the example Joe spent a total of €55 on fuel for his car, parking charges in Wexford and toll changes on the N25.  A meal during his stay cost him €79, and he spent €128 on a guided tour and souvenirs.

Example of an Overnight trip (Form B) – Outbound (excluding Northern Ireland)

Joe is a 42 year old Irish resident from Cork. He returned from a 7 night holiday break in Spain where he stayed in a hotel.  He flew to Spain and his total expenditure on the trip was €1,876. 

To calculate the total expenditure on each trip the following categories are used: accommodation costs, transport costs, package tour costs, expenditure on valuables, expenditure on durable consumer goods and other expenditure such as meals, drinks, shopping and entertainment. 

In the example Joe spent €725 on hotel accommodation for the 7 nights. Transport costs, including flight to Spain and taxi journeys cost €229.  He bought an electronic tablet for €200. Additionally, while on his trip he spent €500 on food and drink, €167 on shopping and €55 on an excursion.

Example of a Same-day trip (Form B) - Outbound (excluding Northern Ireland)

Joe is a 42 year old Irish resident from Cork. He took a same-day trip to England for leisure, where he spent 12 hours at his destination.  He flew to England and his total expenditure on the trip was €262. 

In the example Joe spent a total of €55 on return flights and taxi journeys.  A lunch and dinner during his stay cost him €79, and he spent €128 on a short excursion and some souvenirs.

Tourism

Means the activity of visitors taking a trip to a main destination outside their usual environment, for less than a year, for any main purpose, including business, leisure or other personal purpose, other than to be employed by a resident entity in the place visited.

Usual Environment

The usual environment of an individual is defined as the geographical area (though not necessarily a contiguous one) within which an individual conducts his/her regular life routines.  Places that are frequently visited are part of a person’s usual environment even though they may be located at a considerable distance (or in another country) from the place of residence.

For the purposes of this release, trips taken on a weekly or more frequent basis are considered to be within a respondent’s usual environment and are thus excluded from estimates for tourism trips.  The one exception being that of holiday homes which although may be frequently visited, are considered outside the usual environment according to the UNWTO 2008 International Recommendations on Tourism Statistics (IRTS).

Domestic Tourism

Domestic tourism is defined as the activities of residents of the Republic of Ireland travelling to and staying in places only within the Republic of Ireland but outside their usual environment.

The following categories are excluded from the definition of domestic travel:

  • Residents travelling within the country with the intention of changing their usual residence.
  • Persons who travel to work temporarily in institutions within the country.
  • Persons who travel regularly or frequently between neighbouring localities to work or study.
  • Nomads and persons without fixed residence.
  • Armed forces on manoeuvre.

Outbound Tourism

Outbound tourism is defined as the activities of residents of the Republic of Ireland travelling to and staying in places outside the Republic of Ireland and outside their usual environment. It is important to note that trips to Northern Ireland are included under outbound tourism for results purposes.

From 2012 onwards expenditure on outbound travel includes the cost of second-hand car imports.  

The following categories are excluded from outbound travel:

  • Persons leaving the country as migrants, including dependants accompanying or joining them.
  • Persons, known as border workers, residing near the border in the Republic of Ireland but working in the North of Ireland.
  • Diplomats, consular officers and members of the armed forces when travelling outside of the Republic of Ireland on assignment.  This includes dependants and household employees accompanying or joining them.
  • Persons travelling as refugees or nomads.

Overnight Visitor

An overnight visitor is a visitor who stays at least one night in collective or private accommodation in the place, county or country visited.

Tourism Expenditure (to the end of 2011)

Total consumption expenditure is any expenditure made by a visitor or on behalf of a visitor during their trip and stay at their destination.

Tourism expenditure includes purchases of consumer goods and services inherent in travel and stay (e.g. travel to, from and at destination, accommodation costs, food and drink, excursions), purchases of durable goods for personal use, souvenirs and gifts for family and friends.

The following outlays or acquisitions are excluded:

  • Purchases for commercial purposes, for resale, purchases made on behalf of an employer during a business trip.
  • Capital type investments or transactions engaged in by visitors, such as land, housing or real estate, works of art and other important acquisitions (such as cars, caravans, boats, second houses), even though they may be used in the future for tourism travel purposes.
  • Cash given to relatives or friends during the trip, which does not represent payment of tourism goods or services, as well as donations made to institutions.

Tourism Expenditure (from 2012 onwards)

Total consumption expenditure is any expenditure made by a visitor or on behalf of a visitor during their trip and stay at their destination.

Tourism expenditure includes purchases of consumer goods and services inherent in travel and stay (e.g. travel to, from and at destination, accommodation costs, food and drink, excursions), purchases of durable goods for personal use, souvenirs and gifts for family and friends.

Expenditure on valuables such as paintings, works of art, jewellery and on durable consumer goods such as cars, boats, mobile homes and caravans are also included.

The following outlays or acquisitions are excluded:

  • Purchases for commercial purposes, for resale, purchases made on behalf of an employer during a business trip.
  • Investments or transactions engaged in by visitors, such as land, housing or real estate.
  • Cash given to relatives or friends during the trip, which does not represent payment of tourism goods or services, as well as donations made to institutions.

Rounding

Individual figures have been rounded independently and the sum of the component items therefore may not necessarily add to the totals shown.

NUTS Regions

The regional classifications used for Domestic Travel are based on the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units) classification used by Eurostat.  Until Q4 2017, the NUTS 3 regions corresponded to the eight Regional Authorities established under the Local Government Act, 1991 and Regional Authorities Establishment Order, 1993, which came into operation on 1 January 1994.  The NUTS 2 regions, which were proposed by Government and agreed by Eurostat in 1999, were groupings of the NUTS 3 regions.  The composition of the regions is set out below.

Border, Midland and Western NUTS 2 Region   

Southern and Eastern NUTS 2 Region

Border Cavan Dublin Dublin City
  Donegal   Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown       
  Leitrim   Fingal
  Louth   South Dublin
  Monaghan    
  Sligo Mid-East Kildare
      Meath
Midland         Laois   Wicklow
  Longford    
  Offaly Mid-West Clare
  Westmeath   Limerick City
      Limerick
West Galway City   North Tipperary
  Galway    
  Mayo South-East          Carlow
  Roscommon                 Kilkenny
      South Tipperary
      Waterford City
      Waterford
      Wexford
       
    South-West Cork City
      Cork
      Kerry

However, changes made under the 2014 Local Government Act prompted a revision to the Irish NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 Regions. These changes included:

  • The amalgamation of the local authorities of Tipperary North and South, Limerick City and County Councils, Waterford City and County Councils.
  • The establishment of three Regional Assemblies (Northern & Western, Southern, Eastern & Midland).
  • At NUTS 3 level, South Tipperary was transferred from the South-East into the Mid-West NUTS 3 Region and County Louth was moved from the Border to the Mid-East NUTS 3 region.
  • The establishment of three NUTS 2 Regions which correspond to the three Regional Assemblies and are groupings of the new NUTS 3 Regions.

The revisions made to the NUTS boundaries have been given legal status under Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/2066 and have come into force from Q1 2018. The new NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 structure are displayed in the table below:

Northern & Western NUTS2 Region Southern NUTS2 Region Eastern & Midland NUTS2 Region
Border Cavan Mid-West Clare Dublin Dublin City
  Donegal   Limerick City & County   Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
  Leitrim   Tipperary   Fingal
  Monaghan       South Dublin
  Sligo        
           
West Galway City South-East Carlow Mid-East Kildare
  Galway County   Kilkenny   Meath
  Mayo   Waterford City & County   Wicklow
  Roscommon   Wexford   Louth
           
    South-West Cork City Midland Laois
      Cork County   Longford
      Kerry   Offaly
          Westmeath

The Household Travel Survey results by region can be found on CSO PxStat. The figures for Q1 2018 are available at NUTS 2 level under the new NUTS regions structure. Data prior to Q1 2018 are available using the older NUTS regions.

 List of Regions and Countries - Outbound Travel

EU includes the following countries:
Austria France Netherlands
Belgium Germany Poland
Bulgaria Greece Portugal
Croatia (from 1/7/2013) Hungary Romania
Cyprus Italy Slovakia
Czech Republic Latvia Slovenia
Denmark Lithuania Spain
Estonia Luxembourg Sweden
Finland Malta  
 
 
Other Europe includes the following countries:
Aland Islands Isle of Man Russian Federation
Albania Jersey San Marino
Andorra Kosovo Serbia
Belarus Liechtenstein Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Bosnia and Herzegovina                             Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of           Switzerland
Faroe Islands Moldova, Republic of Turkey
Gibraltar Monaco                                     Ukraine
Guernsey Montenegro United Kingdom (from 1/1/2021)
Iceland Norway Vatican City 

 

USA and Canada includes the following countries:
Canada
United States      
 
 
Central, South and Other Americas includes the following countries:
Anguilla Dominican Republic Paraguay
Antigua and Barbuda Ecuador Peru
Argentina El Salvador Puerto Rico
Aruba Falkland Islands (Malvinas)                Saint Kitts and Nevis
Bahamas French Guiana Saint Lucia
Barbados Greenland Saint Martin
Belize Grenada Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Bermuda Guadeloupe Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Bolivia Guatemala Saint-Barthelemy          
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Guyana Sint Maarten
Brazil Haiti Suriname
Cayman Islands Honduras Trinidad and Tobago
Chile Jamaica Turks and Caicos Islands
Colombia Martinique Uruguay
Costa Rica Mexico Venezuela
Cuba Montserrat Virgin Islands, British
Curacao Nicaragua Virgin Islands, US 
Dominica                                       Panama                                                     

 

Asia includes the following countries:
Afghanistan Japan Palestine, State of       
Armenia Jordan Philippines
Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Qatar
Bahrain Korea, Democratic People's Republic of             Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh Korea, Republic of Singapore
Bhutan Kuwait Sri Lanka
British Indian Ocean Territory             Kyrgyzstan Syrian Arab Republic
Brunei Darussalam Lao People's Democratic Republic Taiwan, Province of China
Cambodia Lebanon Tajikistan
China Macao Thailand
Georgia Malaysia Timor Leste
Hong Kong Maldives Turkmenistan
India Mongolia United Arab Emirates
Indonesia Myanmar Uzbekistan
Iran, Islamic Republic of Nepal Vietnam
Iraq Oman Yemen
Israel Pakistan  

 

Africa includes the following countries:
Algeria Gambia Rwanda
Angola Ghana Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Benin Guinea Sao Tome and Principe
Botswana Guinea-Bissau              Senegal
Burkina Faso Kenya Seychelles
Burundi Lesotho Sierra Leone
Cameroon Liberia Somalia
Cape Verde Libya South Africa
Central African Republic Madagascar South Sudan
Chad Malawi Sudan
Comoros Mali Swaziland
Congo Mauritania Tanzania, United Republic of             
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the             Mauritius Togo
Cote d’Ivoire Mayotte Tunisia
Djibouti Morocco Uganda
Egypt Mozambique Western Sahara
Equatorial Guinea Namibia Zambia
Eritrea Niger Zimbabwe
Ethiopia Nigeria  
Gabon Reunion  

 

Australia, New Zealand and Oceania includes the following countries:
American Samoa Heard Island & McDonald Islands Papua New Guinea
Antarctica Kiribati Pitcairn Islands
Australia Marshall Islands           Samoa      
Bouvet Island Micronesia, Federated States of Solomon Islands
Christmas Island Nauru South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands New Caledonia Tokelau
Cook Islands New Zealand Tonga
Fiji Niue Tuvalu
French Polynesia Norfolk Island United States Minor Outlying Islands
French Southern Territories Northern Mariana Islands Vanuatu
Guam Palau Wallis and Futuna


Methodological Change

Review of 2018 data

The Quarter 2 2018 Household Travel Survey publication was suspended in October 2018 due to concerns the CSO had about the quality of the data collected in the survey. The Quarter 3 and 4 2018 publications were subsequently also deferred while the CSO conducted an in-depth examination of the statistical issues affecting the results.

The statistical quality issues of concern were a falling response rate to the survey and, in tandem with this, a substantial increase in the percentage incidence of trips taken in the respondent sample. The CSO considered the values observed across the survey’s key indicators (i.e. domestic and outbound trips, nights and expenditure) to be implausible when compared to those of previous years; and considered that there was a strong possibility of statistical bias in the survey data. 

In response the CSO undertook a comprehensive investigation of the current statistical processes in the HTS, reviewing the sampling, collection, processing, and estimation methodology and the survey data. The purpose of the review was to identify anything that could be having a biasing impact on the survey results and consider what options were available to address the issues in the data. 

Following the outcome of this review (outlined in more detail in the report linked below) the CSO has decided to apply a statistical adjustment to the 2018 HTS data to address a response bias in the proportion of people responding to the survey who had taken an overnight trip.

The HTS data published for 2018 is to be considered interim and may be subject to future revision. Further information is included in the Methodology Note on Review of Household Travel Survey 2018, published by the CSO at: 

https://www.cso.ie/en/methods/tourismandtravel/householdtravelsurvey/

Domestic Travel

From Quarter 1 2012 onwards, survey data for domestic travel is weighted to agree with population estimates broken down by sex, age group and region (NUTS 3). These population estimates are provided by the CSO's Demography Unit. These weightings are then applied to survey results.

Outbound Travel

From Quarter 1 2012 onwards, survey data for outbound travel are weighted to agree with population estimates broken down by sex, age group and region (NUTS 3). These population estimates are provided by the CSO's Demography Unit. These weightings are then applied to survey results. The results for outbound travel are subsequently further weighted to agree with the Tourism & Travel results. For 2020 and 2021 in the absence of Tourism & Travel results outbound travel has been weighted to agree with trends in departing passenger movements compiled in the Air & Sea Travel Statistics.

Revisions to data (2012-2015)

There have been revisions to domestic and outbound travel data from Quarter 1 2012 onwards as a result of the change to the weighting methodology. Revised data are published in Quarter 1 2016 release. A summary of the effect of these revisions is shown in the enclosed table.

Table : Household Travel Survey - summary effect of revisions of data due to changed methodology

  2012  2013  2014  2015
Total Domestic - Trips '000 (data pre revision)  7,031  7,111  7,354  7,529
Total Domestic - Trips '000 (data revised)  8,291  8,413  8,991  9,125
% Difference  17.9%  18.3%  22.3%  21.2%
         
Total Domestic - Nights '000 (data pre revision)  20,120  20,649  21,204  20,931
Total Domestic - Nights '000 (data revised)  23,703  24,195  26,086  25,267
% Difference  17.8%  17.2%  23.0%  20.7%
         
Domestic - Expenditure €m (data pre revision) 1,345.4 1,373.2 1,464.0 1,529.9
Domestic - Expenditure €m (data revised) 1,514.2 1,533.0 1,713.5 1,725.3
% Difference 12.5% 11.6% 17.0% 12.8%
 
 
Total Outbound - Trips '000 (data pre revision) 6,600 6,579  6,676  7,077 
Total Outbound - Trips '000 (data revised) 6,623 6,575  6,677  7,094 
% Difference 0.3%  -0.1%  0.0%  0.2% 
         
Total Outbound - Nights '000 (data pre revision)  53,046  52,078  53,635  53,477
Total Outbound - Nights '000 (data revised)  53,112  51,985  53,652  53,515
% Difference  0.1%  -0.2%  0.0%  0.1%
         
Outbound - Expenditure €m (data pre revision)  5,345.2  5,392.5  5,598.2  6,016.8
Outbound - Expenditure €m (data revised)  5,342.5  5,384.2  5,590.2  6,022.1
% Difference  -0.1%  -0.2%  -0.1%  0.1%

Break in series

Arising from these changes, discontinuities in all of the series relating to outbound and domestic travel have occurred. Therefore, these results are not directly comparable with the results prior to Quarter 1 2012.

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