Friday, November 29, 2024 Tourism in Ireland remains on an upward trajectory, with overseas visitor spending continuing to climb in 2024. Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today reveals that from January to October 2024, Ireland welcomed 5.79 million international visitors, reflecting an 8% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
These visitors contributed a total of €5.38 billion to the Irish economy, marking a notable 15% growth over the previous year. The CSO has expanded its reporting to include monthly tourism data, and October figures show encouraging signs of resilience.
Overseas visitors spent €535 million in Ireland last month, an increase of almost 4% over the same period in 2023. Key markets such as Mainland Europe and North America were instrumental in driving the positive growth in visitor spend. In terms of visitor numbers, Ireland hosted 548,000 international arrivals in October, a 5% decline compared to October 2023.
This drop was largely attributed to a decrease in visitors from Great Britain, which saw a 13% fall in numbers. North American arrivals also softened slightly, down 3%, likely due to the timing of the US election. However, Mainland Europe emerged as the standout performer in October, showing a robust 22% increase in spending, 3% more visitors, and a 15% growth in bednights compared to the previous year.
Visitors in October spent an average of 9% more per trip than in 2023, with the length of their stay remaining stable.