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Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Trump's policies blamed as Irish tourism revenues plummet
More than half of Irish tourism businesses have seen their revenues drop so far this year with 60% of businesses blaming US President Donald Trump's 'radical' economic policies for the downturn. Fálte Ireland's tourism barometer report shows revenue are down in every sector and region compared to last year with B&Bs, self-catering operators, food & drink establishments and tour guides being worst affected. The survey of more than 800 tourism businesses found a lack of disposable income, combined with a lack of affordable tourist accommodation, got the year off to a slow start, but this has recently been compounded by global economic uncertainty brought about by President Trump's policies. "Businesses across numerous sectors are seeing some cancellations of US trips and a lack of forward bookings from this market as US travellers are concerned about their income and also how they are perceived abroad," the report states. Separate data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that trips by tourists to Ireland from abroad this year have dropped significantly, down 18% on the same period in 2024. Domestic tourism is also down 8%. Fáilte Ireland said the challenging market conditions are seen across the whole country and are not regionally specific. "As overseas visitor levels are down, even Dublin, which often performs better than the other regions, is affected," the report states. It suggests an over-reliance on the North American market, with 59% of those surveyed saying revenues from this sector are down on last year. "The North American market has so often delivered for the industry, underpinning positive overseas market performance at times when European markets were flat. Now that North American levels have seemingly slipped back, Irish tourism businesses are feeling the effects." Some tourism businesses have reported cancelled trips from the US market as travellers are concerned about their income and job security. It follows heightened uncertainty in the US and globally over the tariff war instigated by the US President. In comments for the survey, businesses said operating costs, lack of disposable income and a lack of affordable accommodation were dominating concerns before President Trump was inaugurated. The proportion of businesses expressing concerns regarding the Trump presidency has escalated from 18% in January, before his inauguration to 60% today. Some say that pre-planned trips from US visitors have largely gone ahead in 2025, but they fear that 2026 is when Ireland will feel the effects of US policies most fully. Fálte Ireland said the hotel sector has performed well, with half of businesses saying average room yields are up on last year. However, the domestic market for hotels is lacking long leisure stays, and the corporate stays are also down. For restaurants, 69% have seen a decline in revenues this year, while 52% of pubs have seen revenues fall. Fállte Ireland noted that despite the overall concerns, 56% of tourism businesses say 2025 will be ahead of, or on par with, 2024. Others are hoping for a summer of fine weather, unlike last year, with many operators pining their hopes on the domestic market.
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Air access to Ireland this summer set to rise 6.5%
Air access to Ireland will rise by 6.5% this summer, with airline capacity increasing to 16,500 seats. A report from Fálte Ireland shows the summer tourism period from April to the end of October will see air capacity grow by 3% across the globe, but rise more in Ireland. They said year-on-year growth will be strongest between April and June, with the timing of Easter boosting the number of available seats. Fáilte Ireland said all markets will see an increase in capacity this summer, with North America rising 11% on 2024, Great Britain up 6%, Mainland Europe up 5% and the Rest of the World up 18%. Despite the rise this year, the number of seats from Great Britain remains 2% lower than 2023 levels. From the US, there are five airlines operating 25 routes this summer, an increase of three compared to 2024, providing 1,800 seats. Seat capacity from France will fall 3% this year, largely driven by a reduction by Ryanair. Fáilte Ireland said sea access this summer will be lower than in 2024 and 2023 due to a downsizing of some vessels. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has reported a sharp drop in inbound tourism, showing the number of visitors to Ireland declining 15% during March to 441,200, compared to the same period last year. This continues the downward year-on-year trend in foreign visitor numbers first observed in September 2024. However, Eoghan O'Mara Walsh, chief executive of Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, said the figures from the CSO 'don't reflect industry data sources or sentiment on the ground with industry partners'.
