Dublin airport’s passenger cap and the loss of the Dublin-Holyhead sea route are likely reflected in the Central Statistics Office figures for January 2025, which showed Ireland hosted 338,900 foreign visitors, a 25pc drop from 451,900 in January 2024.
The figures are 60pc behind pre-pandemic figures for January 2019, when a different measurement methodology was in use by the CSO.
The freefall affected all markets. England was down 21.9pc, the USA 18.5pc, France 18.1pc and Germany down 29.3pc. Spain was the only inbound market which held close to the figures for January 2024.
Visitors spent a total of €214m during their stay, reflecting a decrease of 27.9pc compared to the previous year.
The average trip cost per visitor, excluding travel fares, was €632 in January 2025, down from €657 in January 2024.
Continental Europe was the largest source of tourism revenue, contributing 33.9pc, followed by England (30.4pc) and North America (22.3pc).
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