- Overseas visitors reached 3.9m January-July 2026, up 13pc on 2025
- July expenditure totalled €681m, up 9pc on July 2025
- Average length of stay fell from 7.9 to 7.6 nights
- North American visitors generated 44pc of July expenditures.
The Central Statistics Office figures for the first seven months of 2026 and for July , published on Thursdday,reveal a sector expanding in volume while struggling to match previous revenue benchmarks. Overseas visitors have reached 3.9m between January and July 2026, marking a 13pc rise on the corresponding period in 2025 and a marginal 0.4pc increase on the same months of 2024. The absolute number of people arriving has therefore moved ahead, yet the money they leave behind has not recovered the ground lost relative to 2024 levels.
July itself produced 676,300 foreign-resident overnight visitors, standing 5pc higher than July 2025 and 3pc higher than July 2024. Those travellers stayed for 5.2m nights, a 2pc advance on the previous July but a 2pc decline on the July 2024 figure. Average length of stay slipped from 7.9 nights in July 2025 to 7.6 nights this year. Expenditure by the same visitors totalled €681m, representing a 9pc rise on the €624m recorded in July 2025 and a 5pc increase on the €650m of July 2024. Mean spend per visitor has climbed from €965 to €1,006.
The composition of the July market shows Continental Europe and Great Britain each accounting for 32pc of arrivals, North America for 30pc and the rest of the world for 6pc. Compared with July 2025 the British market grew by 4pc, Continental Europe by 9pc and North America by 2pc, while the rest of the world contracted by 1pc. Half of all overnight foreign visitors cited holidays, leisure and recreation as their main purpose, 29pc came to visit friends and relatives and 11pc travelled for business. North American visitors generated €300m or 44pc of total expenditure, Continental Europeans €209m or 31pc, British visitors €127m or 19pc and those from elsewhere €45m or 7pc.
Market by Market
- Ireland outbound numbers were 1,475,000 in July, down 0.6pc on July 2025 and up 52.2pc on pre-pandemic. Rolling annual was 14,232,000, up 6pc on the twelve months to July 2025.
- Ireland inbound visitor numbers in July were 676,300, up 4.6pc on July 2025 and down 41.5pc on pre-pandemic. Rolling annual was 6,847,000, up 9.3pc on the twelve months to July 2025.
- Ireland inbound visitor numbers from Britain in July were 217,900, up 4.6pc on July 2025 and down 41.5pc on pre-pandemic. Rolling annual was 3,564,000, up 3.7pc on the twelve months to July 2025.
- Ireland inbound visitor numbers from North America were 201,100 in July, up 2.3pc on July 2025 and down 30.9pc on pre-pandemic. Rolling annual was 1,603,300, up 10.1pc on the twelve months to July 2025.
- Ireland inbound visitor numbers from Europe were 219,500 in July, up 9pc on July 2025 and down 48pc on pre-pandemic. Rolling annual was 2,334,500, up 8.5pc on the twelve months to July 2025.
External link to CSO release
Destination guides to Ireland’s counties
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
CSO inbound tourism stats for Ireland
Overall – Australia/NZ – Benelux – Britain – Canada – Europe – France – Germany – Italy – North Anerica – Scandinavia – Spain/Portugal – USA – Outbound –
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