Tourism Ireland comments on overseas tourism for January-March 2026 and the year ahead

CSO figures released today confirm that Ireland welcomed over 1.3 million overseas visitors for the period January to March 2026, up +24% on the same three-month period in 2025. They are reported to have spent €909 million in the first quarter of this year, also up +24% on Q1 2025.

The three-month period of January to March, outside of the peak season, usually amounts to around 13% of total overseas visitor spend for the year. It is positive to see revenue growth from all market areas for the first three months of 2025, with visitor spend up +26% from North America, +24% from Mainland Europe, +22% from Great Britain and +22% from the rest of the world.

However, despite this positive start to 2026, there are headwinds in the tourism sector, taking into account the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Geopolitical instability can take its toll and the conflict in the Middle East has implications for tourism that can be summarised in three key points:

• Air space disruption: around €450 million of visitor spend per year comes to Ireland from long-haul Asian, Australian and Middle Eastern markets, often using air space over the Middle East, which faces some disruption and re-routing at the current time.
• Oil and gas supply: oil and gas shortages risk upward pressure on pricing for businesses on the ground. For the aviation industry, shortages of refined jet fuel from late May may be a risk, if transportation through the Middle East remains disrupted, alongside longer-term pricing implications driven by a doubling in the cost of jet fuel since February 2026.
• Competitiveness and consumer confidence: the third parameter for tourism is competitiveness and consumer confidence, the sense for potential visitors of feeling safe to travel and confident to spend.

The European Travel Commission expects demand for overseas travel to remain resilient but with price sensitivity increasing, as households consider their own day-to-day costs.  Competitiveness is therefore a key consideration for industry on the ground.  Tourism industry bodies have welcomed government measures, such as the reduced 9% VAT rate on food services to aid viability in the months ahead. Tourism Ireland’s role is overseas demand generation, partnering with industry to bring value-adding visitors to the island of Ireland, supporting businesses, communities and the tourism economy. Overseas visitors typically bring €6 billion to the island of Ireland each year. Tourism Ireland is working closely with airlines, overseas travel trade and tour operators, as well as partners across 15+ markets and industry on the ground in Ireland.

Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “It is positive to see the growth in overseas tourism for the first quarter of 2026, with increases in visitors and visitor spend from Great Britain, North America, Mainland Europe and further afield. That said, we know that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has implications for overseas tourism as we look ahead.  Disruption to air space over the Middle East, oil and gas supply and pricing, as well as consumer confidence all influence the tourism outlook. There are 46,000 tourism businesses in Ireland, >50,000 island wide, and 6 out of 10 euros in the tourism economy are brought in by overseas visitors specifically.  Tourism Ireland is working closely with air and sea carriers, tour operators, online travel platforms, our travel trade partners in overseas markets and industry partners at home, to generate demand, win visitors and keep our connections to the world strong.”

Tourism Ireland activity to generate demand is live across 15+ overseas markets and includes:

• Co-operative marketing campaigns with airlines and ferry companies, under way and running this summer, will drive visitor demand for our strategic air and sea routes, delivering a 15:1 return on investment in terms of visitor spend generated on the ground from trips won.
• Regarding competitiveness, Tourism Ireland is focusing on audiences with funds to travel, showcasing authentic experiences and once-in-a-lifetime trips that make Ireland ‘worth it’ and aspirational to our audience, at our price point.
• Tourism Ireland continues to focus on diverse markets, rolling out our new strategy in Mainland Europe, focusing on new air routes from China, and completing sales missions recently across cities in the US and Canada.
• Next week, Tourism Ireland will launch its new ‘Ireland Unrushed’ global campaign across 15 markets, showcasing immersive ‘slow tourism’ itineraries and new ways for overseas holidaymakers to explore our island and take time to enjoy our scenery, culture and heritage more deeply.
• Throughout 2026, Tourism Ireland will create a global spotlight for over 1,000 tourism SMEs, enabling 35,000 commercial meetings between local industry and overseas trade who bring visitors at scale – delivering €300 million in business pipeline.
• Broadcast TV and streaming shows co-produced by Tourism Ireland are airing to millions of viewers around the world this year, including travel series starring Ronan Keating, Martin and Roman Kemp, Dermot O’Leary and Fred Sirieix.
• New focus areas include culinary tourism, activity tourism, year-round reasons to travel, as well as inspiration to explore from gateway cities to regions.
• Tourism Ireland is promoting the island of Ireland through advertising, publicity, digital, social and Gen AI, reaching potential visitors in the channels where they research holidays today.