A 10 per cent fall in US holidaymakers would cost the Irish economy more than €190 million, tourist chiefs calculate in a report warning that the industry depends heavily on high-spending transatlantic visitors.
Official figures indicate that the number of US visitors to the Republic this year will top the 1.2 million who holidayed here in 2024, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (Itic) says.
Business from the US remained healthy in what was a challenging year for the industry, Itic notes in a report published on Thursday.
But it cautions that “a modest dip in US visitor numbers would have a painful impact on Irish tourism”, requiring significant growth in numbers from other countries to compensate.
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“A 10 per cent decline in visits from the US would equate to 124,000 fewer US visitors and a reduction in visitor expenditure of close to €191 million,“ Itic said.
[ ‘No room for complacency’ in tourist industry despite record year– ITICOpens in new window ]
The organisation argues that developing new routes that will open the Republic to visitors from Asia would help counter the dependence on transatlantic business.
US tourists spend three times as much as those from Britain and close to twice what holidaymakers from other EU states spend here, with a corresponding impact should their numbers start dwindling, the report said.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), US visitors spent an average of €1,538 during their holidays here in 2024, against €884 for EU tourists and €509 for British holidaymakers.
Their spend per night was the highest also, at €182, compared with €111 for continental Europeans and €105 for the British, says the CSO.
Consequently, the State would have to lure holidaymakers in far greater numbers from Britain and the EU to make up for transatlantic losses, the Itic report notes.
As would be “a stretch” the confederation says it makes more sense to target other long-haul, higher spending markets, such as Asia.
A weakening dollar could cut hit US numbers. It traded at around $1.08 to the euro in the years after the pandemic, but that went to $1.16 in 2025, the report noted. Tariffs and economic uncertainty could also hit the market.
Itic says it welcomes State tourism agencies’ efforts to develop new markets and urges the Government to fully fund this.
