tourism in ireland 2019

601 Of The Best Things To Do In Ireland On 1 Map (This Makes Planning A Trip EASY)

By Author Keith O'Hara

Posted on Last updated: December 8, 2019

T he best things to do in Ireland… on an interactive driving map of Ireland… with f**k loads of attractions slapped onto it that people can use to plan an adventure.

The above two sentences were what I jotted down while I was planning out the list of resources that I wanted to have on this website.

It was a double edged sword – the map has proven to be one of the most popular features on the site, but it tooK about two inches off my fingers while I spent days bashing away on the keyboard, researching and plotting out attractions.

I’m possibly being a little over dramatic…

Created to battle  FOMO  (the fear of missing out) 

Ever find yourself in a place that you’ve never been and thinking, “I wonder what there is to see around here?!”

There’s nothing more frustrating than arriving in a place with a limited amount of time to explore it and being unsure of what there is around you to see and do.

It happened me recently after I visited West Cork and realised about a week later that I was in a town that offered a shark watching tour ??? (see below…)

What you’ll get from this map

If you’re one of those hyper-organised people who plan out a trip in minute detail, then fair play to you – we’ve a tonne of hour-by-hour road trip guides that you’ll love here .

But if you’re like me and you tend to drift off the main roads whenever something catches your eye, then the map below, packed with the best things to do in Ireland, is for you.

• The best places to visit in Ireland across every single county
• Unique off-the-beaten-track sights that you won’t find in a lot of guidebooks
• Places that myself, family and/or friends have been to and loved – a lot of these are random places that you’ll only hear about when chatting to a local.
• Large tourist attractions that you’ll have heard of, but sure we’ve popped them on just in case

The Best Things to do in Ireland Nestled in your Pocket

Below, you’ll find an interactive Google map of Ireland packed with 600+ of the top things to do around our little island.

The best way to use it:

• While you’re planning your trip : bookmark this page and when you’re planning your Irish adventure, zoom in on where you’re heading to and hey presto, loads of deadly things to do all around you
• When you’re off exploring:  bookmark this page and when you’re in a place and looking for stuff to do, whip our your phone and zoom in. You’ll quickly be surrounded by places to check out and things to do

How the map was created

Ahead of a recent Irish road trip, I asked the 220,000+ strong #IrishRoadTrip community for their recommendations of the best things to do in Ireland – thousands of people commented, emailed and DM’d.

I took these recommendations and combined them with personal experiences from my own travels along with recommendations from family and friends.

Yes, this detailed tourist map of Ireland has the main tourist attractions that you’ve heard of and plan on checking out, but its secret sauce is a tonne of off-the-beaten-track stop-off points that are less known, and harder to stumble across.

Looking for full road trip itineraries that save you having to research and plan?

Photo by Hillwalk Tours

Here’s some of our most popular road trip guides:

• An Unforgettable 18-Day Road Trip That’s Packed With The Best Places to Visit in Ireland ( our most popular guide )
• 21+ Adventurous And Fun Things To Do In Waterford This Weekend On A Looooovely 2-Day Road Trip ( see it here )
• 30+ Things To Do In West Cork Over A Mouth-Watering 4-Day Road Trip (Full Itinerary – check it out here )
• 3 Adventure, Food + Craic Packed Days in Galway ( get it here )
• 22 of the Best Things to do in Donegal on an Adventure-Packed 3-Day Road Trip ( grab it here )
• Our 2-Day Road Trip Along The Causeway Coastal Route For You To Steal ( Cliffs, Whiskey, Caves + Loads More )

Planning a trip to Ireland?

We’ve more handy interactive guides on the best places to stay, eat and drink (traditional pubs only) in every single county in Ireland.

Check them out below.

Is there somewhere that we missed? Let me know in the comments section below!

Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries . Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.

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Saturday 30th of March 2019

Also silent valley reservoir in the mournes

Tourism growth stalled in 2019 after 8 years of sustained growth, with year end estimates broadly unchanged from the previous year.

2019 proved to be a more challenging year for the industry than anticipated. Modest growth in demand over the early months gradually declined as the year progressed. The challenging headwinds included the ongoing economic weakness across Ireland’s main source markets coupled with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the ill-timed increase in Vat on tourism services which damaged Ireland’s competitiveness. Air access services, a proven prime driver of tourism demand, suffered a setback with the grounding of B737MAX aircraft in March together with delivery delays which curtailed capacity, most noticeably on North Atlantic services. The net result was a dampening of demand for Ireland and a drop in revenue earned.

Ireland earned close to €5.175 billion from overseas tourists this year, down 1% from the previous year. The latest CSO data for the first 9 months of the year, showed a 1% drop in receipts from most markets except North Americans with a 2% increase in expenditure in the country.

Over the past five years Aer Lingus have successfully developed Dublin as a hub for transatlantic travel with over 1 million journeys annually now accounted for by transfer passengers and day visitors to Ireland (as reported in the CSO’s monthly release). For example 1 in 5 North American arrivals are now transferring through Dublin Airport.

Overseas tourist numbers were at best up 1%, only marginally ahead of the 9.6m recorded in 2018.

Mainland Europe is now Ireland’s top source market by volume having overtaken numbers from, Britain in 2018. Based on arrivals all markets show an increase in visitor numbers in 2019, however, the data include day visitors and a growing volume of transfer passengers using Dublin as hub for transatlantic travel.

Holiday visits grew by an estimated 1% to reach close to 5.3m in 2019, with a marked slowdown in growth from North America. Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic was less buoyant, down an estimated 2% over the first nine months, while business trips grew by 8% over the same period.

Some key insights into Ireland’s overseas tourism demand in 2019

Demand markedly moderated as the year progressed

Despite encouraging growth in demand over the early part of the year, overseas tourist volumes and expenditure in the peak season July to September were marginally below the same period a year previously. While growth in international travel is reported to have moderated as the year progressed demand has not entered into negative territory.

The number of overseas tourists to Ireland moved from almost 6% growth in Q1, despite the timing of Easter which fell in Q2 ’19, to no growth in Q2 and a decline in Q3. Within the overall tourist volume, those coming on holiday increased by 5% in Q1 but recorded no growth over the next 6 month period.

Average expenditure per trip declined in 2019

Tourists from long haul markets are higher spending compared to tourists from short haul markets, reflecting longer average length of stay in the country and spending patterns. Visitors from Australia/ Asia/Pacific region are the highest spending tourist at an average of just over €840 per visit, followed by North American visitors spending an average of €717 per visit. The average expenditure by visitors from continental Europe tends to be close to €500 per visit, with Germans the higher spenders. British visitors on average spend €264, reflecting the relatively high incidence of short stay visits.

The average expenditure per visit showed a drop on the previous years across many markets. The drop in spending broadly reflects a decline in the length of stay. Perhaps more interesting is that the decline was relatively deeper for the higher spending markets of North America and Rest of the World, other than in the case tourists from France, which had a disproportionate impact on the aggregate level of receipts.

Growth in aggregate earnings lagged the rate of volume increase due largely to a decline in the length of stay and average daily expenditure. This presents a challenge for the year ahead.

Average length of stay continues to slide

The average length of stay has historically been in decline, a continuing trend evident over the first 9 months of 2019. The decline in average stay was evident in Q1 and more pronounced in Q3 this year. During the peak Q3 the average stay dropped from 7.4 nights in 2018 to 7.0 nights in 2019.

While the average stay varies widely by source market, purpose of visit, and seasonality, the drop in Q3 was most evident amongst long haul, higher spending, tourists and holiday visitors from mainland Europe.

A context for tourism performance in 2019

A slowdown in growth in international travel

Worldwide demand for travel continued to grow in 2019, although at a slower pace than in recent years. Slowing economic growth, potential trade wars, geopolitical tensions and social unrest, plus continuing uncertainty over Brexit all came together to create a tougher than anticipated business environment for the travel and tourism industry worldwide.

While there was a modest increase in airline capacity across most regions, airlines worldwide experienced a moderate slowdown in passenger demand growth. The grounding of the Boeing 737MAX and delivery delays of new aircraft dented the schedule and growth plans of many carriers, while tough trading conditions saw several airlines go out of business.

As in previous years the growth rate of outbound travel continues to be highest, although slowing, in the emerging source markets of Asia, while sustained modest growth is evident from the more mature source markets in Europe and North America.

• The number of people making international trips during the first nine months of 2018 rose by 4% year-on-year, with mixed performance across the world, with Europe enjoying a 3% increase in tourism. The United States led growth in international tourism expenditure in absolute terms, supported by a strong dollar, while China, the world’s top source market saw outbound trips increased by 14% in the first half of 2019, though expenditure fell 4% compared to the same period a year earlier according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
• Airline passenger traffic, measured in RPKs, is expected to show a 4.2% growth in 2019, compared to 6.5% in 2018, as 5.54 billion passengers took to the skies earning global airlines a 3.2% increase in revenue. International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• Passenger throughput at European airports was up 4.3% for the first half of the year, dropping to 2.6% in Q3 and to 2.1% in October, the weakest monthly performance so far in 2019. Airport Council International (ACI)

An analysis would suggest a number of factors which contributed to Ireland’s performance slipping below international benchmarks in 2019.

BREXIT depressed demand for Ireland

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the UK’s withdrawal from the EU continued to be a significant factor impacting tourism to Ireland in 2019. The most apparent impact continued to be the relative weakness of sterling which not only lessened the attractiveness of Ireland for British tourists, but also resulted in the UK being a more competitively attractive to tourists from other markets. Ireland already with a perception as a high cost of living destination, particularly in the British market, was further competitively disadvantaged by the increase to 13.5% VAT on tourism services in 2019 which pushed up the price of accommodation, food and other services in an already difficult year for the industry.

‘Perceptional damage’ resulting from ongoing media coverage of Brexit and Ireland’s land border issues is likely to have caused confusion and adversely impacted demand for Ireland in some key source markets.

Access - a key driver of tourism demand - curtailed in 2019

After several years of increasing air lift driving growth in tourism to Ireland, most apparent from the USA, Canada, and Germany, there was less capacity into Ireland for the 2019 peak season. While the airlines’ planned a 5% increase in capacity for summer 2019, a forced reduction due to grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX and late delivery of new aircraft resulted in only an increase of close to 3%. The impact was most evident on transatlantic routes with the curtailment and cancellation of services, including loss of services to Shannon and Cork, resulted in little change on available capacity compared to the previous summer. This undoubtedly impacted tourist flows to Ireland from the US and Canada, as demands increased from Irish outbound travellers and the number of passengers using Dublin as a hub for their transatlantic travel grew. In addition, the collapse of WOW meant the loss of capacity on indirect budget travel from North American via Iceland to Ireland.

VAT increase on tourism services

The decision by the Government to raise the VAT on tourism services from 9% to 13.5%, effective January 01, represented a serious blow to competitiveness for businesses in the sector. The immediate imposition of the increase put many businesses at a severe disadvantage, especially in respect of contracts already agreed as in many cases the increase could not be recouped from the customer. In addition, the price rise caused an immediate adverse reaction from trade intermediaries around the world at a time when the sector was facing into a challenging and tough trading season. The imposed price increase saw Ireland’s competitiveness dented and pushed more potential customers to consider Britain with its soft sterling as a more attractive proposition.

The net result would appear to be that while the Exchequer will have benefitted from an increase VAT returns from the sector, growth has been stymied, aggregate expenditure in the country has declined and businesses have suffered with a reduction in yield, thereby threatening sustainability of employment and future growth.

Lack of adequate investment in tourism budgets

At a time of increased global competition for tourists, and the added risk of Brexit on the tourism and hospitality industry, budgets for the tourism sector allocated by Government in 2019 were inadequate to meet the challenges. As a consequence Ireland continued to lose share of voice in key markets and was not in position to make the appropriate marketing investment in new emerging and developing markets – markets which have proven potential to deliver good growth in revenue and which are critical to Ireland’s future tourism growth as established source markets mature. The supplementary budget allocations from Government at the back end of the year, while welcome, may have less effective due to timing. Worryingly there is a reduction in destination marketing budgets from Government in 2020.

Domestic Tourism in 2019

Current forecast suggest that receipts from the domestic market will reach close to €1.9 bn. In the absence of any official data Fáilte Ireland are projecting that revenue from domestic demand and tourist traffic from Northern Ireland will be down in the region of 2% based on reported occupancy levels and recognising a softening of consumer sentiment. It is also notable that outbound travel by Irish residents has been particularly buoyant in 2019, reporting an increase of 8% in trips and 14% in expenditure over the first 9 months. The growth pattern especially strong outside of the peak season suggests that demand for domestic trips, especially short breaks, may have been negatively impacted by the growth in overseas trips.

Tourism faces a challenging year ahead

Following a year of mixed tourism results and increasing pressure on businesses, the industry is facing into 2020 with caution, recognising the real challenges ahead. The overriding cloud on the horizon continues to be the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit outcome, with the prospect of a ‘no deal’ outcome with the UK crashing out of the EU at end 2020 having a potentially catastrophic impact on the sector. With an election due in Spring 2020 the domestic economic outlook is positive, provided no major shock from a no deal Brexit.

On the cost side the industry is facing increases in labour costs, insurance, services and utilities, while particular sectors have unique challenges.

Global context

The global economic outlook is a little more positive than at times during 2019, with GDP forecast to expand by 2.7% in 2020, marginally above the 2.5% growth in 2019. World trade growth is expected to rebound to 3.3% from 0.9% in 2019, as election year pressures in the USA contribute to reduced trade tensions. Growth is supported by actions from central banks as well as easing fiscal policy.

The cost of oil, a major determinant of travel cost and demand, is expected to dip further in 2020 as oil supply is plentiful. Slower-than-expected global economic growth in 2019 contributed to lower energy demand, with crude oil prices averaging around $65 per barrel (Brent), compared to $71.60 in 2018, with oil prices expected to dip further in 2020 to $63 (Brent).

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast that the global airline industry will carry 4% more passengers in 2020 on the back of stronger global economic growth. The consensus forecast in global industry suggest modest tourism growth of 3% to 4% internationally, although with a note of caution. Tourism Ireland’s targets for 2020, +1% in tourist numbers and +3% in revenue, appear to be modest and would represent another year of slippage in Ireland’s market share.

Key challenges facing tourism in 2020

• Maintaining competitiveness is the single greatest challenge facing the tourism sector as it heads into a difficult trading environment in 2020. Businesses struggle to continue to deliver value for money in the face of higher VAT rate, labour market tightness, increasing input costs, notably insurance, together with possible currency volatility in the overhang of Brexit- all of which impact tourism prices, customer value, and sustainability of enterprises.
• Strategic investment in destination and product marketing together with tourism flow management is becoming critical to success if Ireland is to recover sustainable growth. As Ireland faces demand vs. capacity pressure points, reflected in high occupancy and locational congestion, a sharper strategic focus on developing more economic and environmental sustainable markets which optimise the longer term benefits for Ireland. Investment in developing new markets to expand Ireland’s source market footprint is currently less than adequate.
• Uncertainty governed by geo-political and economic factors always present a threat to demand for travel, including the potential impact of trade wars and political upheavals. Such events challenge the industry to be nimble in ensuring an optimisation of a revenue centric approach to exploiting market opportunities including investment in market diversification.

Access capacity for 2020

The expansion of airline services continues to be a key driver of Ireland’s tourism performance. The good news is that 2020 will see a modest growth in capacity on routes to Ireland. Especially welcome will be the continued expansion of North Atlantic service by Aer Lingus and the launch of new routes and expanded service connecting mainland Europe with Cork and Shannon. Ryanair service expansion continues to be constrained by the grounding of Boeing 737MAX aircraft, while Norwegian withdrew from transatlantic services to/from Ireland.

The principal changes/additions to air services, compared to summer 2019 and which are relevant to tourism include:

From the USA

• Aer Lingus continues its expansion with a 10% increase in capacity compared to last summer from 13 US gateways, as the airline operates an expanded fleet including new A321LR aircraft replacing B757s. Increased capacity will be on offer to Dublin from Minneapolis/St.Paul, Seattle and Orlando, as well as an upgraded service from JFK and Boston to Shannon.
• American Airlines will extend the season from Dallas/Ft. Worth effective May 7 - October 23.
• Delta Air Lines will operate larger aircraft on its JFK-Dublin service.
• Norwegian Air International withdrew from the market in September 2019 having operated services from Dublin to Stewart and Providence last summer.
• United Airlines will launch daily service from San Francisco to Dublin, effective June 5, on B787-8 aircraft.
• Aggregate capacity between the US and Ireland is projected to be marginally ahead of last summer.

From Canada

• Aer Lingus Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat will continue to operate service from 5 gateways to Dublin as in summer 2019 with a marginal increase in capacity over the season.
• Aer Lingus has cancelled its proposed launch of service from Montreal.
• Norwegian withdrew from the market in September 2019, having operated a service from Hamilton to Dublin.
• Cathay Pacific will resume service, suspended over the winter, from Hong Kong to Dublin.
• China Eastern Airlines , with double daily service from Shanghai to Paris, has expanded its codeshare with Air France to include connecting services to Dublin.
• Hainan Airlines suspended services from Beijing and Shenzhen to Dublin in late summer 2019.
• Juneyao Air is to launch a new service from Shanghai via Helsinki with twice weekly departures from March 29.

From Germany

• Lufthansa is adding frequencies to Dublin from Frankfurt, while reducing service to Shannon to a weekly departure.

From France

• Aer Lingus is adding a new service between Shannon and Paris CDG, with 4 flights weekly, from March 29, as well increasing frequency between Montpellier and Dublin.
• Air France is adding a second daily service from Paris CDG to Cork, and increasing frequency to Dublin.
• Ryanair is launching service from Toulouse and Marseille to Dublin, while adding frequency from Bordeaux and Nantes.

From Austria

• LaudaMotion , a Ryanair company, is launching new twice weekly service from Vienna to Shannon.
• Vienna to Dublin will be served with increased frequency by Aer Lingus and Laudamotion .
• Aer Lingus launching new services from Brindisi and Alghero to Dublin, effective May 23.
• Ryanair launching service from Verona to Dublin.

From the Netherlands

• KLM will launch new service from Amsterdam to Cork, effective March 30.

From Israel

• El Al will launch service from Tel Aviv to Dublin with 3 departures per week from May 26.

From Switzerland

• SWISS is extending the season for its Zurich to Cork service.
• Aer Lingus is launching new Barcelona-Shannon service with three departures per week from March 29.

In addition to the above, Ryanair and Aer Lingus are adding services on a number of established routes from Continental Europe catering to inbound tourism, as well as many resort routes primarily catering to outbound tourism.

• Ryanair, Aer Lingus, BA and Flybe will maintain a wide range of routes with minor adjustments to frequency and capacity, while Ryanair has withdrawn services from Bristol and Nottingham East Midlands to Shannon.

Stena Line will introduce a new generation ferry on its Dublin-Holyhead route as the new Stena Estrid replaces Stena Superfast X to provide additional capacity on the route.

ITIC’s agenda includes the following key goals for the year ahead as part of its ongoing advocacy role on behalf of businesses and other stakeholders engaged in tourism.

Managing Brexit outcome

While the UK is committed to exiting the EU on January 31, 2020, and is resolved to end the transition period by year end, the final shape of the UK’s future external relationships in respect of trade, regulatory and other aspects is far from clear. Tourism, as is the case with other export industries in Ireland, remains exposed to potential negative impacts. Tourism while primarily depending on people flows is also concerned with continuation of cross-border regulatory alignment.

ITIC will continue to provide an information and advocacy campaign on behalf of the tourism business community to help alleviate any disruption and to protect trade in the sector. The industry will continue to call on Government for the appropriate supports to assist businesses address Brexit related issues.

An Industry’s Strategy for Growth to 2025

In March 2018, the ITIC published an 8 year roadmap for the tourism sector, the output of a 10-month long consultation period with the tourism and hospitality businesses throughout Ireland. The strategy sets out ambitious goals for Irish tourism including a 65% growth in tourism earnings from overseas visitors and 80,000 more jobs nationwide. A number of key enabling factors have been identified together with 51 policy recommendations that need to be implemented in order for Ireland’s largest indigenous industry to realise its potential in the years ahead.

ITIC has committed to continue to provide progress updates on the implementation of the strategy every 6 months. The latest progress update noted that, of the 51 recommendations within the strategy, 13 had been implemented, 28 are a work-in-progress and warrant increased focus, whilst 10 are heading in the wrong direction.

ITIC will continue to monitor the advancement of the strategy with the next report due in April 2020.

Environmental Sustainability

In 2020 ITIC will continue its work ensuring that Ireland’s tourism industry does all within its power to support environmental sustainability measures. It is estimated that tourism is responsible for 5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions – with transport, including flying – accounting for three-quarters of this. The Irish tourism industry already has strong and robust measures in place to minimise environmental impacts and ITIC will work with Government and Agencies to put metrics in place and improve performance.

ITIC working with Fáilte Ireland & Tourism Ireland to deliver for the industry

ITIC is committed to continuing to work with the state agencies charged with facilitating the development of the sector to ensure that investment and marketing programmes are effective in delivering results in a cost efficient manner and in line with the industry’s 2025 strategy.

ITIC will also work with the agencies and CSO to improve the quality and timeliness of metrics on the industry’s performance with a particular focus on key economic data, including the development of a Tourism Satellite Account.

Tourism in Ireland

Development of the tourism sector in ireland from 1995 to 2019.

Revenues from tourism

All data for Ireland in detail

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Inbound Tourism July 2024

• Background Notes

Foreign visitors increased by 0.8% in July 2024

Periodicity.

Annual/Monthly.

Inbound travel patterns of foreign residents visiting Ireland, which involve overnight stays and same-day trips, and associated variables.

All foreign resident visitors departing Ireland on overseas air and sea routes. Foreign resident visitors who depart Ireland via Northern Ireland are not covered. Foreign resident cruise excursionists who visit Ireland are also not covered.

The purpose of the Inbound Tourism statistical series is to measure the travel patterns (trips, nights, purpose of trip, type of accommodation, expenditure, etc.) of foreign resident visitors to Ireland.  The series is one of several Central Statistics Office (CSO) tourism series 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 the Passenger Survey , an ongoing survey of departing passengers at Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Knock and Shannon Airports, and at Dublin Port, Europort Rosslare and Ringaskiddy Port.

Why departing passengers (as opposed to arriving passengers). There are three reasons for this:

• EU Regulation on tourism statistics specifies that it is the date of departure, rather than the date of arrival, that determines the reference month for tourism flows. Surveying departing passengers aligns with this concept.
• The full details of a trip are not always known the moment a visitor first arrives in a country. This is particularly the case in relation to expenditure, where the visitor will not usually know exactly how much he/she will spend on their trip. Surveying departing passengers only, when the full trip details are known, avoids this ambiguity.
• From an operational perspective, it is easier to survey departing passengers (whilst waiting at an airport departure gate or waiting to board a vessel) than arriving passengers (who often depart directly the airport or port facilities).

The Passenger Survey is conducted by CSO enumerators and consists of enumerator-led interviews of a sample of departing passengers. The data is captured by the enumerators using of an electronic questionnaire hosted on tablets and mobile devices. The questionnaire captures information on the flight or sailing of the departing passenger, their residency, reason for travel, their length of stay in the country, the accommodation types they used and various expenditure information such as their fare cost, accommodation cost and day-to-day expenditure.

The Passenger Survey was first trialled in Dublin Airport in 2019 then, following a hiatus due to COVID-19, was fully implemented in Dublin Airport in 2022, before being rolled out to the other airports and seaports in early 2023.

Sample Design

The Passenger Survey employs a hybrid sample design. At Dublin Airport, where the main enumeration effort is made, a two-stage cluster sample approach is used. A sample of departing flights (clusters) is randomly selected. Then the enumerators interview a systematic sample of passengers preparing to board those flights. At Cork, Kerry, Knock and Shannon Airports, where flight departures are less frequent, a different approach is used. Enumerators are allocated rotating shifts that represent the full range of flight activity. The enumerators then attempt to interview a sample of passengers on all flights departing in their shifts. At the seaports, where sailings are even less frequent, a different approach again is taken. A systematic sample of departing sailings is selected and the enumerators then attempt to interview as many passengers as possible preparing to board these vessels. The overall sample size of the  Passenger Survey  by year and month is as tabulated.

Aggregation

The  Inbound Tourism  results are compiled by weighting the  Passenger   Survey  returns to total departing airport and seaport passenger numbers reported monthly by the airport authorities and sea ferry operators respectively. There is a separate weighting scheme for each airport and seaport. The weighting scheme for Dublin Airport is the most complex, with passengers surveyed on a specific flight first being weighted to the total number of passengers on that flight then weighted again to represent the total passenger numbers departing to various countries. Non-transfer and transfer passengers are weighted separately. For the other airports, the passengers surveyed departing to the various destination countries are simply weighted to the total passengers departing to those countries. For the seaports, passenger returns departing on each specific ferry route are weighted to the total number of passengers departing on those ferry routes. All individual airport and seaport results are then combined to produce the  Inbound Tourism  results.

In January 2023 the  Passenger Survey  was fully operational only at Dublin Airport and Knock Airport. It was only in April 2023 that the survey was fully operational at all airports and seaports. To allow the compilation of full results for the year, imputation techniques were used to fill the gaps in coverage at the non-operational airports and seaports at the start of the year. For the most part, the imputation entailed using survey returns for the airports and seaports in the comparable months of 2024 and reweighting these to 2023 monthly passenger totals. The 2024 return expenditures were deflated using the Consumer Price Index to arrive at comparable 2023 expenditure estimates. For some months later in the year, imputation was also used at Kerry Airport and Ringaskiddy Port when coverage of these could not be provided for operational reasons. Some 4,744 passenger returns were imputed in total in 2023 (increasing the nominal  Passenger Survey  sample size to 130,203 for that year). These imputed returns represented 2.3% of the published passenger estimates for 2023.   

Definitions

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).

Inbound Tourism

Inbound tourism is defined as the activities of foreign residents travelling to and staying in places within the Republic of Ireland and outside their usual environment. It is important to note that trips by Northern Ireland residents to the Republic, whilst technically classed as inbound tourism, are excluded from these series for practical reasons. Northern Ireland residents who depart the Republic via an airport or seaport in the Republic, are assumed to the same day visitors simply transiting through. 

A Visitor is defined as 'any person travelling to a place other than that of his/her usual environment for less than twelve months and whose main purpose is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited'. 

Same Day Visitor

A same day visitor is a visitor who spends no more than one day in the country visited. They do not stay overnight.

Overnight Visitor

An overnight visitor is a visitor who stays at least one night in the country visited.

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 may be made up of visits to different places. Only trips by foreign residents to Ireland are included in the Inbound Tourism series.

Reported are foreign resident overnight and same-day trips that ended in the reference month. Note that the overnight foreign resident visitors may have arrived in Ireland prior to the reference month (e.g. if a visitor arrived in Ireland in May 2023 and departed in June 2023, this would be classed as a June 2023 trip).

Included are all trips for personal or professional purposes (e.g. holidays, visiting friends or relatives, business or professional trips, sporting or religious events, medical visits, shopping trips). Excluded are all trips that are part of normal work routines, such as trips by aircrew, sea crew and commercial vehicle drivers. 

Country of Residence

Country of Residence is defined as the country in which the person has resided during the greater part of the 12 months prior to being interviewed.

Departing Passenger Categories

All passengers departing Ireland on overseas routes are divided into one of five categories;

• Outbound Irish; these are Irish residents heading abroad for tourism or other purposes. Irish residents (which may include foreign nationals) are those who have lived in Ireland for at least the last 12 months.
• Same Day Visitor: Northern Ireland; these are residents of Northern Ireland departing the Island of Ireland through an airport or sea port in the Republic of Ireland. It is assumed that these residents of Northern Ireland are merely transiting through the Republic to avail of the various additional overseas travel routes on offer. Therefore, these passengers are categorised as same day visitors.
• Same Day Visitor: Transfer; these are foreign residents who travel to an Irish airport solely for the purpose of catching a connecting flight to a foreign destination. They are usually in the country for just an hour or so and are therefore considered same day visitors. Transfer passengers are not the same as transit passengers, who remain onboard their aircraft before it flies on to a further destination. Transit passengers are outside the scope of this Inbound Tourism.
• Same Day Visitor: Other; these are foreign resident departing passengers, other than Northern Irish residents or transfer passengers, who depart an Irish airport or seaport on the same day they arrived. Examples include business travellers flying in and out on the same day for a business meeting or travellers flying in and out for a family funeral.
• Overnight Foreign Resident Visitors; these are departing foreign resident visitors to Ireland whose trip has comprised at least one overnight stay in the country.

Nights refer to the number of nights stayed in the country by the foreign resident visitors. By definition, same day visitors spend no nights in the country. It is important to note that the number of nights reported in a particular reference month refer to the cumulative trip nights spent in the country by the visitor departing that reference month. They are not apportioned out over individual months. Thus a visitor who arrives in Ireland on 24 May and departs on 8 June will be classed as having spent 14 nights in the country as he departs in June (even though 7 of those nights were actually spent in May). Seasonal factors (e.g. foreign students departing the country at the end of term) may inflate the number of nights reported in specific months (e.g. December).

Main Reason for Travel

The main reason for travel is the primary purpose for which the visitor came to Ireland. A visitor may have multiple reasons for visiting Ireland, but only the main reason is reported.

Main Accommodation Type

Main accommodation type is the type of accommodation the visitors used more than any other type. Very often, visitors will stay in only one accommodation type and this is their main accommodation type by default. If visitors stay in more than one accommodation type, the type they spent the most nights in is designated their main accommodation type.

Expenditure

Expenditure covers all routine expenditure relating directly to a trip. Expenditure is divided into four categories:

• Fares; the cost of air and ferry tickets to travel to and from Ireland.
• Prepayments; purchases of services in Ireland (e.g. car hire, tour bookings, concert tickets, etc, but excluding accommodation) undertaken in advance of the trip and relating directly to the trip.
• Accommodation; the cost of hotels, guesthouses, rented holiday homes etc, during the trip.
• Day-to-day expenditure; These are all other routine costs incurred during the trip. These include the cost of eating out, the purchase of gifts and routine consumables, tour and equipment costs (where not prepaid in advance of the trip) and other incidental expenses.

All expenditure relates to individual expenditure. Where visitors travel as a group and can only provide the cost of the group fare, group accommodation, etc. these group costs are divided by the number of persons in the travelling party to estimate the individual costs. The expenditure covers both payments made by the travelling party and all expenses paid for or reimbursed by others (e.g. an employer).

Fares only cover the cost of travelling directly to and from Ireland. Where a visitor purchases a ticket covering multiple destinations only the cost of the direct route to Ireland is nominally included (e.g. if a US visitor flies from John F Kennedy Airport to Heathrow Airport and from there to Dublin Airport, only the Heathrow-Dublin element of the fare is included). In these cases the visitor is assigned the median fare of those who only travel the direct route. For those who travel to Ireland by ferry, their accompanying vehicle (if any) is included in the cost of the fare.

Package fares are assumed to cover the cost of both fares and accommodation. Visitors who package fares are assigned a median fare based on their travel route and the remainder of their package costs are assumed to be their accommodation costs.

Prepayments only cover the purchases of services in Ireland. The purchase of travel-related services in other countries (e.g. airport parking at their point of embarkation to Ireland) are excluded.

Accommodation costs cover all direct costs associated with booking a room, bed or space in the accommodation premises. The purchase of additional services from the accommodation provider (e.g. an evening meal or on-site parking) are classed as day-to-day expenditures (or prepayments, when booked in advance). Note that nights spent with friends or relatives or in the visitors own properties are assumed to be unpaid accommodation.

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.

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

List of Countries - Inbound Tourism 

Relationships to other cso tourism series.

The Inbound Tourism series complements the Household Travel Survey series in that whilst the former reports statistics on Inbound Tourism, the latter reports statistics on Domestic Tourism (Irish residents travelling within Ireland) and Outbound Tourism (Irish residents travelling abroad). Definitions and classifications between the two sets of series are harmonised as closely as possible and statistics on Outbound Tourism are calibrated to departing Irish resident passenger numbers compiled from the Passenger Survey . Taken together, the Inbound Tourism series and the Household Travel Survey series provide a very comprehensive overview of all tourism activities impacting the state.

The Inbound Tourism series also complements the Air and Sea Travel Statistics compiled and published during the COVID-19 era (and updated and maintained on a monthly basis in the CSO Database system:

Air and Sea Travel Statistics ,  ASM01 ,  ASM02 ,  ASM03 ,  ASA01 ,  ASA02 ,  ASA03

Whilst the Air and Sea Travel Statistics reports the overall number of passengers arriving and departing on overseas routes, the Inbound Tourism series provides the detailed characteristics of the departing passengers. The Inbound Tourism series is weighted to the number of departing passengers reported in the Air and Sea Travel Statistics .

The Inbound Tourism series is also related to the former Overseas Travel series (published monthly up to February 2020) and the former Tourism and Travel series (published quarterly to the fourth quarter of 2019), in that all three sets of series report on the characteristics of foreign resident visitors who travel on overseas routes to Ireland. However, care must be taken comparing the Inbound Tourism series to both the Overseas Travel series and Tourism and Travel series. The Inbound Tourism series is compiled using a very different sampling methodology and a very different mode of data collection. Therefore, the results of the respective series are not directly comparable. The Inbound Tourism series should be seen as a completely new and different statistical series rather than a continuation or update of the Overseas Travel and Tourism and Travel series.

Methodological Review

The Inbound Tourism series is a new statistical series based on an updated sampling methodology and data collection process. This new methodology represents a significant improvement on the previous methodology, particularly in terms of the sampling and a move to a fully digitised process, and this produces an enhanced measurement of inbound tourism in Ireland. In line with best practice, the CSO monitors the quality of its methodological processes and outputs of its statistical work.   As part of the review process for this series, a range of validation exercises have been conducted including a review of the raw passenger data by destination and the change to surveying departing passengers only (versus the previously applied process of surveying arriving and departing passengers).  The CSO will continue to review its application and outcomes over the coming months.

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• Number of overseas tourist visits in Ireland 2019, by region

Number of overseas tourist visits in Ireland in 2019, by region of destination (in 1,000s)

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• Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Ireland 2019-2034
• Number of domestic tourist trips in Ireland 2012-2022
• Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Ireland 2019-2034

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• Most visited paid tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance

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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in Ireland "

• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Ireland 2019-2023, by type
• Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Ireland 2019-2023, by tourist type
• Tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Average daily expenditure on tourism in Ireland 2019, by tourist type
• Industry revenue of “travel agency, tour operator, reservation service“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020
• Estimated impact of COVID-19 on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020, by sector
• Estimated number of tourism jobs lost due to COVID-19 in Ireland 2020, by sector
• International tourism receipts in Ireland 2011-2023
• Number of overseas travel arrivals in Ireland 2019-2021, by mode
• Number of inbound tourist visits to Ireland 2012-2019
• Number of inbound tourists in Ireland 2018-2019, by country
• Inbound tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Overseas vacationers in Ireland 2019, by age
• Share of overseas tourists in Ireland in 2019, by month of arrival
• Domestic tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2022
• Number of outbound tourist trips from Ireland 2013-2022
• Outbound tourism expenditure in Ireland 2013-2022
• Share of people intending to travel in Ireland April 2021, by destination and period
• Industry revenue of “accommodation and food service activities“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Industry revenue of “accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Industry revenue of “hotels and similar accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Number of travel accommodation establishments in Ireland 2011-2021
• Number of rooms in accommodation premises in Ireland in 2019, by type
• Number of hotels and similar accommodation in Ireland 2006-2019
• Number of hotel rooms in Ireland 2010-2021
• Hotel bedroom occupancy rates in Ireland 2012-2019
• Number of overseas travelers engaging in outdoor activities in Ireland 2019
• Preferred activities by domestic vacationers in Ireland 2019
• Most visited free tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance

Other statistics that may interest you Travel and tourism in Ireland

• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Ireland 2019-2034
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Ireland 2019-2023, by type
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Ireland 2019-2023, by tourist type
• Premium Statistic Tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Premium Statistic Average daily expenditure on tourism in Ireland 2019, by tourist type
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Ireland 2019-2034
• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “travel agency, tour operator, reservation service“ in Ireland 2012-2025

COVID-19 impact

• Premium Statistic Estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020
• Premium Statistic Estimated impact of COVID-19 on tourism revenue in Ireland 2020, by sector
• Premium Statistic Estimated number of tourism jobs lost due to COVID-19 in Ireland 2020, by sector
• Premium Statistic International tourism receipts in Ireland 2011-2023

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of overseas travel arrivals in Ireland 2019-2021, by mode
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourist visits to Ireland 2012-2019
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourists in Ireland 2018-2019, by country
• Premium Statistic Number of overseas tourist visits in Ireland 2019, by region
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2019
• Premium Statistic Overseas vacationers in Ireland 2019, by age
• Premium Statistic Share of overseas tourists in Ireland in 2019, by month of arrival

Domestic and outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic tourist trips in Ireland 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourism spending in Ireland 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourist trips from Ireland 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism expenditure in Ireland 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Share of people intending to travel in Ireland April 2021, by destination and period

Accommodation

• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “accommodation and food service activities“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Premium Statistic Industry revenue of “hotels and similar accommodation“ in Ireland 2012-2025
• Basic Statistic Number of travel accommodation establishments in Ireland 2011-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of rooms in accommodation premises in Ireland in 2019, by type
• Basic Statistic Number of hotels and similar accommodation in Ireland 2006-2019
• Basic Statistic Number of hotel rooms in Ireland 2010-2021
• Basic Statistic Hotel bedroom occupancy rates in Ireland 2012-2019

Tourist activities and visitor attractions

• Premium Statistic Number of overseas travelers engaging in outdoor activities in Ireland 2019
• Premium Statistic Preferred activities by domestic vacationers in Ireland 2019
• Premium Statistic Most visited free tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance
• Premium Statistic Most visited paid tourist attractions in Ireland 2021, by attendance

Further related statistics

• Premium Statistic Number of nights spent by overseas tourists in Ireland in 2018, by region
• Premium Statistic Number of overseas holiday visitors in Ireland in 2019, by region
• Premium Statistic Domestic business trips in Ireland 2012-2017
• Premium Statistic Domestic business trip spend in Ireland 2012-2017
• Premium Statistic Number of overseas holidaymakers visiting Ireland 2010-2019
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism volume in the Bahamas 2010-2021, type
• Premium Statistic Nationality of visitors to Gibraltar in 2018
• Premium Statistic Average length of stay of international overnight tourists in China 2012, by origin
• Premium Statistic Overseas tourist revenue in Ireland in 2017, by region visited
• Premium Statistic Share of leisure visitor arrivals from China to Australia by age group 2012-2016
• Premium Statistic Number of German, British and French tourists in Spain 2000-2020
• Premium Statistic Fastest growing tourist markets to Prague 2019, based on visitor growth
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound visitors in Turkey 2006-2023
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism volume in the Dominican Republic 2010-2022, by transport mode
• Basic Statistic Budapest share of inbound tourist visits to Hungary 2022, by country of origin
• Premium Statistic Mexico: average stay of international visitors in Quintana Roo 2010-2017

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

• Number of nights spent by overseas tourists in Ireland in 2018, by region
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• Mexico: average stay of international visitors in Quintana Roo 2010-2017

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Best universities in the UK 2024 - University Rankings

The university of oxford is top in a list of the best universities in the uk 2024, which includes institutions in england, wales, scotland and northern ireland.

• Rankings for Students

Top 10 universities in the UK 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities in the UK

Which are the top universities in the UK? If you want to study in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, which universities should you consider?

Develop the skills top employers want while you study and get a digital certificate to boost your CV!

This league table reveals the best UK universities and colleges, according to the trusted Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024.

The University of Oxford takes the first place position, with the University of Cambridge following in second place, while two of London’s best universities and a Scottish university complete the top five.

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Three universities in Scotland appear in the top 25 – the University of Edinburgh , the University of Glasgow and the University of St Andrews – while Cardiff University is the top-ranked Welsh university, sitting in 24th place.

For students looking to study in Northern Ireland, the best university in the ranking is Queen’s University Belfast .

Of the top universities in the UK, about 20 are in London, including well-known institutions such as Imperial College London and King’s College London.

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Top 5 universities in the UK

5.  university of edinburgh.

Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is the sixth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Britain and Ireland’s seven ancient universities.

It is made up of three colleges: arts, humanities and social sciences; science and engineering; and medicine and veterinary medicine. Within these colleges are 20 academic schools.

A range of student clubs and societies is on offer, including a music society, a theatre society and a variety of sports teams including football, rowing, judo and rugby.

The student newspaper, The Student , is one of the oldest student newspapers in the UK. It was founded by the author Robert Louis Stevenson.

UCL’s main campus is in the central London area of Bloomsbury. Nearly half of all UCL students are from outside the UK, with significantly more from Asia than from continental Europe.

UCL was the first university in England to admit students irrespective of class, race or religion, and the first to admit women on equal terms with men, following the educational philosophy of Jeremy Bentham, the university’s “spiritual founder”.

For admission, undergraduate students are required to have achieved top grades in their high school exams. The most competitive degree is the BSc in philosophy, politics and economics, which receives 30 applicants for every place.

Famous alumni include Mahatma Gandhi; Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone; and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who met the other members of his band at the university.

3. Imperial College London

Imperial’s main campus is near Kensington Palace in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with other campuses around the city. The student cohort is extremely international and is made up of more than 125 nationalities.

Imperial College London is consistently ranked among the best universities in the world for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business.

It was formed in 1907 from a merger of three colleges in London and now has 17,000 students and 8,000 staff.

In addition to top scientists, Fields medallists and Nobel prizewinners, Imperial also produces influential government advisers and policymakers. Many graduates go on to achieve breakthrough innovations in industry and business, and are highly sought after by blue-chip companies and start-ups.

The author H. G. Wells and Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, are among Imperial’s famous alumni.

Ten things every international student in London should know

2. University of Cambridge

In total, 117 Nobel laureates are affiliated with the University of Cambridge , and Cambridge-linked mathematicians have won 11 Fields medals. Notable alumni include actors, athletes, politicians, royals and cultural figures, including biologist Charles Darwin, broadcaster David Attenborough, conservationist Jane Goodall and actress Olivia Colman.

Like Oxford, the University of Cambridge is fundamentally collegiate and is also one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities. The town is just an hour from London.

The university is home to more than 19,000 students and 9,000 staff. There are 31 colleges, some of which date back to the 13th century, and more than 100 academic departments.

Cambridge is particularly renowned for excellence in mathematics and has educated some of the most famous British scientists.

Undergraduates are taught via lectures and supervisions – intimate tutorials with only a couple of other students at most. The workload is heavy but terms are shorter than at many other UK universities.

Cambridge libraries are home to extensive collections of medieval manuscripts, and the university museums display collections of archaeological artefacts and zoological specimens.

Oxbridge and the Ivy League: tips for applications

1. University of Oxford

More than 30 world leaders, 27 British prime ministers, 50 Nobelists and 120 Olympic medallists were educated at Oxford. Stephen Hawking, Hugh Grant and Indira Gandhi are some of its famous graduates.

Undergraduates and postgraduates belong to one of its 44 colleges and often live in the college building or college-owned accommodation.

One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, the University of Oxford attracts top scholars and students. Entry standards are high and admission is competitive; on average, the institution receives five applications for each available place.

Social life and recreational activities – such as rowing, cultural events and societies – also revolve around the college. Undergraduates are taught almost exclusively by tutors in their college, while postgraduate students are primarily served academically by a centralised faculty.

There are more than 100 libraries at Oxford, the most famous of which is the Bodleian, built in 1602. The city also has a number of museums, including the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, which houses the remains of a dodo, and the Museum of the History of Science, which displays a blackboard used by Albert Einstein.

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