Irish tourism has been alive and well but with the summer months over for 2024, the hospitality and local industry has felt a downward turn in business this year. Inflation increases on a range of accommodations, poor weather, and also the lack of investment in the smaller towns, have been some of the factors in the sliding influx of tourists to Ireland this year. The Airbnb industry here in Ireland is prevalent for visitors and we have seen a rise of unique properties become available as this side of tourism continues to expand.
My choice of accommodation on my road trips includes a mix of hotels, Airbnb, B&Bs, and cabins. I love to discover the lesser-known towns, but why are they being overlooked? On a recent trip to Kerry, I found a unique Airbnb property in the seaside town of Portmagee, right beside Valentia Island — John Joe’s Cottage. The price was great; it was authentic, cozy, and a great location to explore Kerry.
The fishing village of Portmagee is surviving but there are conversations between the locals about the drop in tourists, mainly due to the roads. The popular Ring of Kerry road takes three-and-a-half hours to complete and is winding, sometimes reduced to one lane, and can be very close to cliff edges. Villages like this one rely on tourists to survive.
As well as more investment needed for the infrastructure, the local bus service for the community is now booked online, with a limited bus service into the local town of Caherciveen. The constant inflat.