Tourist spending drops by €43m as visits fall
Ireland is known as the land of a thousand welcomes, but a dispute has broken out over exactly how many people are actually availing of it.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said the numbers visiting were down by more than 21,000 in April compared to a year earlier – of decline of almost 4% – and the amount they spent had dropped by almost €43million, or just over 10%.to
Paul Keeley, Fáilte Ireland's director of regional development, said: 'We are talking to CSO. And we're talking to industry, we're talking to a number of independent research companies, trying to crash various data sources together to get the best possible picture as to how the season is trending.' Ireland is known as the land of a thousand welcomes, but a dispute has broken out over exactly how many people are actually availing of it. Pic: Getty Images
However, Martin Harte, chief executive of the Temple Bar Company, told a recent meeting of Dublin City councillors the overseas visitor numbers at the city's TradFest in January were up 8%.
'I think there's probably a little bit of confusion over visitor numbers and their impact,' he said.
'Business appears to be the same if not slightly ahead of this time last year.' Martin Harte, chief executive of the Temple Bar Company. Pic: Collins
The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation and the Irish Hotels Federation were also due to meet the CSO, it was reported.
However, the CSO said it 'is confident the trends reported in the Inbound Tourism series reflect real trends in overseas visitor numbers'.
A CSO spokesman added: 'Monthly results for overseas overnight visitor numbers have been showing a consistent year-on-year trend in recent months.
'In September 2024, the survey reported a decrease of 1% on the previous September, and the amount by which the year-on-year comparison has fallen has increased in each successive month since then. O'Connell Street in Dublin. Pic: Getty Images
'The visitor numbers reported for January 2025 showed a fall of 25% compared with January 2024. January and February would be considered as part of the low season for tourism.'
The CSO said one of the reasons for the fall in inbound tourism was that the figures were coming from a high base.
'January and February 2024 had a higher-than-usual rate of tourist numbers, which means the falls noted in 2025 are against this relatively high base,' it added.
'In February, the estimated number of visitors from North America (USA and Canada) and from mainland Europe (Europe excluding the UK) were down by more than 30%. The number of visitors from Great Britain fell by just under a quarter (24%).
'What we can see from the data is this downward trend started in September 2024
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Agriland
an hour ago
- Agriland
CSO: Consumers paid more for butter, cheese and milk in May
The price of a pound of butter at the checkout rose on average last month by €1.03, according to new figures released today (Thursday, June 12) by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Shoppers also paid more for Irish cheddar which increased by 57 cent per kg while two litres of full fat milk also jumped by 27 cent in May. Overall consumer prices in Ireland rose by 1.7% between May 2024 and May 2025 latest figures show. According to the CSO the biggest price increases recorded over the 12 months to May 2025 were in relation to food and non-alcoholic beverages – which rose by 4.0% while alcoholic beverages and tobacco also increased by 3.1%. National average prices for selected goods and services for May 2025 compared to the same product and service in May 2024 Source: CSO The Consumer Price Index is designed to measure the change in the average level of prices – inclusive of all indirect taxes – paid for consumer goods and services in Ireland. According to the CSO while there was an increase in the price of an 800g loaf of white or brown sliced pan – which rose by 5 cent, there was a fall in the price of a 2.5kg bag of potatoes – which dropped by 25 cent last month when compared with similar prices for May 2024. Anthony Dawson, statistician in the CSO prices division, also highlighted today that in particular the annual change in food and non- alcoholic beverages costs 'reflects a rise in prices across a range of products, such as beef and veal'. But prices, as consumers will have noticed in their shopping bills, have also risen for items such as chocolate, confectionery and eggs. CSO According to the CSO the areas which showed the 'largest growth' in May 2025 were clothing and foot clothing and footwear – which increased by 1.8% and restaurants and hotels which also rose by 0.9%. The increase in clothing and footwear has been attributed to a 'recovery from sales'. Meanwhile the areas which saw the largest declines last month month were transport which fell by back by -2.8% and recreation and culture which fell by -1.5%. Its latest analysis also shows that consumer prices remained 'unchanged in the month between April 2025 and May 2025'.
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Annual inflation slows to 1.7% in May
New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the annual rate of inflation slowed to 1.7% in May from a rate of 2.2% in April. The CSO said inflation was flat month-on-month while the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which strips out mortgage interest costs, fell to 1.4% on an annual basis from 2% in April. Today's figures show the most significant increases in the 12 months to May were seen in the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose by 4%. Price rises were seen across a range of products including meat, chocolate and milk, cheese and eggs. Prices of alcohol and tobacco also increased by 3.1%. May also saw higher rents - up 5.3% - and a 1.3% increase in the cost of electricity. The cost of health and motor insurance premiums also rose last month - increasing by 8.7% and 8.5% respectively. But transport costs on an annual basis slowed by 2.4% mainly due to lower prices for airfares, petrol and diesel, while clothing and footwear prices fell by 1.9%. The CSO also published its National Average Prices for selected goods and services for May today. This shows price increases for a pound of butter, which rose by €1.03, while Irish cheddar cheese per kg increased by 57 cent. Two litres of full fat milk moved 27 cent higher while an 800g loaf of white/brown sliced pan increased by five cent and spaghetti per 500g was up two cent. But May saw reductions in the price of a 2.5kg bag of potatoes, which fell by 25 cent when compared with May last year. Commenting on today's figures, Dominic Lumsden, a spokesperson for Peopl Insurance, said that while today's figures show that the rate of inflation has eased, there are many areas where inflation is running well above average. These include postal services (up 7.4%), hygiene products (up 4.6%) and taxi fares (up 8.7%). Today's CSO figures also show that above-average inflation has also been recorded for many basic grocery items with butter prices up 18%, beef and veal prices up 19.9%, and fresh low fat milk prices up 13.7%, he added. He said for people holidaying at home this summer, the rising cost of cinema trips (up 5.6%), restaurants and take-away food (up 3.3%), and recreational and sporting services (up 6.3%) will eat into their budget. "Another price increase which may have gone under the radar now we're into the milder summer months is the carbon tax increases which kicked in at the start of May. This will push up the cost of home heating oil, coal, briquettes and gas for consumers - making it more expensive for them to heat their homes," Mr Lumsden said. "While it will arguably be the colder autumn and winter months before homeowners feel the real brunt of these increases, the carbon tax hike will undoubtedly put more under pressure," he added.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Abandoned F1 track lies overgrown and covered in rubbish 13 years after last race as £255m of debt is racked up
FORMULA ONE will have two Grand Prix events in Spain next year following the announcement of the 2026 calendar. The last time the country did this was between 2008 and 2012. 8 Fernando Alonso was the last winner of a race at the Valencia Street Circuit Credit: Getty Images - Getty 8 The track hosted five Grand Prix between 2008 and 2012 but ate up huge running costs Credit: Action Images - Reuters 8 It has now laid abandoned for 13 years with rubbish seen across the track 8 Weeds are now seen growing through the kerbs 8 Running costs totalled up to a staggering £255m in debts 8 The once picturesque harbour-view track still holds some scars of its past 8 Old sponsors and paint markings can be seen on the site The first was in Located near the port of Valencia, the F1 track record at the 3.4-mile circuit was set by Timo Glock in 2009 with a time of 1:38.683, though However, the track was far from popular with drivers for its mundane layout and eventually a lack of interest and funding saw F1 move away. The deal to bring it to F1 had allegedly been part of an election promise between former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Valmor Sport group, led by former motorcycle racer Jorge "Aspar" Martínez and READ MORE IN F1 But when Valmor went bankrupt through taking care of all the costs involved in running the races, the tracks seven-year deal was cut down to five and dug a financial hole worth £255million in debt. An estimated £87m is said to have been paid to Ecclestone, while there were also considerable costs for the construction of the circuit, television broadcasting and various invoices related to the organisation. All told, the Generalitat Valenciana had to fork out a bill of more than £85m to cover the losses. And the circuit itself has been left in a state of disrepair after being closed in 2013. Most read in Motorsport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Some of it was converted back to walkways for the public. But the majority of the track looks like something out of an urban jungle. One of F1's most recognisable voices reveals Leclerc and Hamilton moments that will live with him forever Weeds have overtaken the slip roads on the site, rust has taken root on old safety barriers, and access tunnels have been flooded. Buildings on the site look every hour of their age, with a repurposed 19th-century warehouse showing signs of needing a major paint job. The track itself has not fared much better, with heaps of rubbish seen lying across it while weeds and plants grow out from under the kerbs of the circuit. Pit markings and tyre burns can also be seen over what was not cleared away, while there is even still some evidence of race sponsors from never-removed hoardings to painted pavement which has faded over time. Thieves have also had their way with what was left at the site. Anything valuable that might have been left over from the days of F1 has been gutted out. There was hope for the site in 2022 when an investment group was in talks with the City Council to reclaim the space, turning it into housing and flats for residents. 8
