tourism ireland annual report 2022

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• About Tourism NI

Tourism NI Annual Review

• Roles & Responsibilities
• Strategic Documents
• Organisation Structure

Visitor Information Plan

Financial statements, budgets and variance reports.

• Customer Focus
• Industry associations and bodies
• Funding Schemes

The Tourism NI Annual Review, celebrates the achievements of another outstanding year for tourism in Northern Ireland.

Performance report 2022/2023.

Northern Ireland’s tourism industry ended the 2022/2023 financial year on a positive note with industry performance indicators suggesting that recovery was well underway with some sectors of the industry performing exceptionally well. Tourism NI is pleased to have played an integral role in the industry’s recovery through its marketing and promotional campaigns, B2B support to local experience and accommodation providers and its financial and advisory support to a wide range of local tourism businesses.

Royal Portrush Golf Course, County Antrim

We have used our multi-award-winning 'Embrace a Giant Spirit' brand to both promote Northern Ireland’s breathtaking landscape, heritage and culture whilst simultaneously supporting tourism providers to develop authentic experiences which meet the needs of customers and attracts visitors from both local and overseas markets.

In August 2022 the Department for the Economy and Tourism NI announced an £11.5m funding package to support the ongoing recovery of the tourism sector and tackle the new challenges created by the increasing cost of doing business.

The funding was focused on supporting the development of new visitor experiences, enhancing the resilience of tourism businesses, and securing additional revenue from both the domestic and Republic of Ireland markets.

Tourism NI - Performance Report 2022/2023

• Data tracker

Seven million people visited Ireland in 2022

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) has today issued its estimates for the volume of international visitor arrivals in 2022.

ITIC estimate that seven million international tourists came to Ireland this year, a 73 per cent recovery compared to the pre-pandemic peak of 2019.

Mainland Europe was the largest source market with 1.5 million high-spending North Americans also visiting the country. Although 2022 was better than anticipated, there is "significant anxiety about 2023 with cost inflation, a sharp reduction in tourism accommodation supply, and a potential VAT increase all worrying tourism leaders".

Estimates for next year range from a dip on this year’s performance to single digit growth. Air access and demand from key source markets look strong but economic headwinds globally, allied to cost inflation and supply constraints at home, make accurate forecasting challenging. ITIC estimate that a full tourism recovery to 2019 levels is not likely to be achieved until 2026.

Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, chairperson of ITIC, said: “2022 has thankfully been a stronger year than anticipated with pent-up demand, deferred bookings and accumulated savings all boosting business this year. It is vital that the sector returns to sustainable growth."

Economist Jim Power recently completed a report for ITIC into the economic rationale for retaining the 9 per cent VAT rate in lieu of the Government’s current plan to reinstate the 13.5 per cent from March 1st, 2023.

He estimated that the increase in VAT would add 4.1 per cent inflation to accommodation and food services and cost 24,000 jobs.

“Hopefully Minister McGrath heeds these warnings and quickly gives the industry certainty about the 9 per cent VAT rate going forward," said Ms Fitzgerald Kane.

Planning permission granted for almost 270 new homes in Midleton

Two new cities have been added to Dublin portal

Government lays out ‘simple actions’ to improve lives of people with autism

Road closed following road traffic collision in south-east Clare

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In this section

• Consumer sentiment reports
• Tourism facts and figures
• Accommodation facts and figures
• Economic analysis
• Activities and attractions
• Regional facts and figures

Find research & insights

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey May 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in May 2024.

Irish Resident Travel by County 2023

The Central Statistics Office published the Household Travel Survey Quarter 4 and Year 2023 in May 2024. The survey includes estimates of trips, nights and length of stay analysed by main county visited. This report summarises the data along with estimates generated by Fáilte Ireland of domestic tourism revenue by county.

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey April 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in April 2024.

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey March 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in March 2024.

An Analysis of Debt Warehousing in Tourism – June 2024 Update

An update on outstanding warehoused debt from the perspective of the tourism sector as of June 2024.

Day Trip Deep Dive - Consumer Planning and Insights

This report explores day trips in Ireland, revealing their year-round popularity, short lead times, and 2-hour travel range. Highlighting diverse experiences can attract consumers.

Air and Sea Summer Access 2024

Overview of Summer 2024 (Apr-Oct) planned air & sea capacity to the Republic of Ireland, highlighting weekly average capacity by key markets.

Updated Overview of Government Contracted Beds – May 2024

May 2024 update on Government Contracted bed stock in Ireland based on figures provided by Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer May 2024

Fáilte Ireland carried out a survey of the industry in May 2024 to inform our evolving responses to the continuing challenges facing tourism. A summary of results is provided in the attached report.

An Analysis of Debt Warehousing in Tourism - May 2024 Update

An update on outstanding warehoused debt from the perspective of the tourism sector as of May 2024.

Winter 2024 Update Report

This report explores what domestic travel and winter looked like for the 2023/2024 winter period, along with taking a deep dive in city break behaviour and consumer motivations for taking them. It also casts an eye to macro factors influencing domestic travel for the months ahead, and their potential implications.

Fáilte Ireland Accommodation Occupancy Survey - 2023

The Accommodation Occupancy Survey Report provides key performance data, unit and bed occupancy rates for non-hotel accommodation at a national and regional level (where available) for the whole year of 2023.

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey February 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in February 2024.

Fáilte Ireland Hotel Survey January 2024

The Hotel Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates, Average Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of Irish hotels at a national and county (where available) level in January 2024.

Accommodation Supply Dashboard

Interactive dashboard of registered and approved accommodation stock in the Republic of Ireland (as of January 2024).

Dublin Hotel Pricing: A Comparative Review

This report brings independent empirical analysis to the Dublin hotel market with reference, inter alia, to the scale of price increases compared to increases in the costs of doing business and how Dublin benchmarks against European comparators.

Cumulative Impact of Changes to Payroll Costs on Business Operations

An analysis of key changes in employment costs arising from recent government policies and the impact they will have on the tourism and hospitality industries.

Debt Warehousing in Tourism

An analysis of the Government’s Covid-related Debt Warehousing programme from the perspective of the tourism sector.

Residents’ Attitudes towards Tourism in Ireland

As part of its plans to drive sustainable tourism development across Ireland, Fáilte Ireland has conducted research among Irish communities to understand public views on tourism. This summary outlines the main findings

Air Access: Planned Capacity to ROI by Key Markets (Q1 & Q2 2024)

This report focuses on planned seat capacity (as of March 2024) from key markets to Irish regional airports for Q1 and Q2 2024, compared to 2023.

Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer January 2024

Fáilte Ireland carried out a survey of the industry in January 2024 to inform our evolving responses to the continuing challenges facing tourism. A summary of results is provided in the attached report.

2023 Tourism Careers Research Update

Read the results of Fáilte Ireland's third iteration of its tourism and hospitality labour market research.

Updated Overview of Government Contracted Beds - November 2023

November update on Government contracted accommodation bed stock in Ireland based on figures provided by Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The Summer 2023 Consumer Update Report

The report focuses on domestic tourism performance over the 2023 summer period, in terms of overnight stays and day trips. It also provides a view on future travel intentions in the short term.

Air & Sea Access: Planned Capacity for Winter 2023/24

This update (as of November 2023) reports on planned capacity to the Republic of Ireland between November 2023 and March 2024 for both air and sea access.

Fáilte Ireland Accommodation Occupancy Report Q3 2023

The Accommodation Occupancy Survey Q3 Report provides key performance data, unit and bed occupancy rates for non-hotel accommodation at a national and regional (where available) level from July to September 2023.

Fáilte Ireland’s Report on Visitor Attractions 2022

Read the Visitor Attractions Survey Report 2022. This report provides a topline analysis of Visitor Attractions Performance in 2022 along with attendances at participating attractions.

Fáilte Ireland Tourism Facts 2022

Key Tourism Facts 2022 is a collation of available key tourism performance data for the year 2022, with a strong focus on the domestic market.

Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer September 2023

Fáilte Ireland carried out a survey of the industry in late August/early September 2023 to inform our evolving responses to the continuing challenges facing tourism. A summary of results is provided in the attached report.

Fáilte Ireland Accommodation Occupancy Survey Q2 2023

The Accommodation Occupancy Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates of Guesthouses, Bed and Breakfasts, Self-catering properties, Hostels and Caravan/Campsites at a national and regional (where available) level in the second quarter of 2023.

Update on Government Contracted Accommodation Stock

June update on Government contracted accommodation bed stock in Ireland based on figures provided by Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Air & Sea Access: Planned Capacity for Summer 2023

This update (as of June 2023) reports on planned capacity to the Republic of Ireland between April and October 2023 for both air and sea access.

Fáilte Ireland Accommodation Occupancy Survey Q1 2023

The Accommodation Occupancy Survey report provides key performance data, room and bed occupancy rates of Guesthouses, Bed and Breakfasts, Self-catering properties, and Hostels at a national and regional (where available) level in the first three months of 2023.

Irish Resident Travel by County 2022

The Central Statistics Office published the Household Travel Survey Quarter 4 and Year 2022 in April 2023. The survey includes estimates of trips, nights and average length of stay of Irish Residents analysed by main county visited. This report summarises this data along with estimates generated by Fáilte Ireland of domestic tourism revenue by county.

Domestic Travel Behaviour Consumer Update

This report explores what domestic travel looked like in the first half and into Summer 2022, along with assessing satisfaction of breaks and value for money, and taking a deep dive into the visitor experience for accommodation. It also explored intended behaviours for the remainder of 2022, with an eye to macro factors influencing domestic and overseas travel and their implications.

Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer December 2022

Fáilte Ireland carried out a survey of the industry in late November/early December 2022 to inform our evolving responses to the continuing challenges facing tourism. A summary of results is provided in the attached report.

Fáilte Ireland’s Report on Visitor Attractions 2019-2021

Read the Visitor Attractions Survey Report covering the period 2019 to 2021 and detailed results for 2021. This report covers the peak years of the Covid pandemic and as a result, attendances at many attractions differed significantly from previous years.

Sustainable Tourism in Ireland - Understanding the opportunity

While tourism audiences are more sustainability-minded than the general public, they don’t yet know what sustainable travel means. This research identifies future-facing sustainable travel experiences that could help bridge the say-do gap and motivate people to make sustainable trip choices.

2022 Tourism Careers Research Update

Read Fáilte Ireland's comprehensive research into the tourism and hospitality labour market.

Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer September 2022

Fáilte Ireland carried out a survey of the industry in late August/early September 2022 to inform our evolving responses to the continuing challenges facing tourism. A summary of results is provided in the attached report.

Domestic Trips, Nights and Revenue by County 2019 and 2021

The Central Statistics Office published the Household Travel Survey Quarter 4 and Year 2021 in May 2022. The survey includes estimates of trips, nights and average length of stay of Irish Residents analysed by main county visited. This report summarises this and 2019 data along with estimates generated by Fáilte Ireland of domestic tourism revenue by county.

Winter 2021/22 Review

This report explores what domestic travel and Winter looked like in 2021, along with taking a deep dive in city break behaviour over the Winter period and consumer motivations for taking them. It also looks at how we can look forward and prepare for the Summer, with an eye to macro factors influencing domestic and overseas travel and their implications.

Visitor Numbers to Attractions Dashboard

Interactive dashboard of visitor numbers to attractions, based on Fáilte Ireland’s Annual Visitor Attractions Survey.

Tourism Careers: Labour Research 2022

Read Fáilte Ireland's most comprehensive research into the tourism and hospitality labour market.

September 2021: CP&I – Consumer Update

Updated data for September shows intention for domestic summer trips satisfied the majority of travellers.

Recruitment challenges: a survey of tourism businesses

This report outlines results of a survey that was conducted with tourism businesses to analyse recruitment challenges in the industry.

July 2021: CP&I – Consumer Update

Updated data for July shows that, aligned with trends seen in 2020, domestic trip intentions have begun to decline post summer season.

Future Consumer Trends - July 2021

This report highlights eight key consumer trends to watch for in the short, medium and long term, along with five key travel trends...

June 2021: CP&I – Consumer Update

Updated data for June shows that the initial spike in domestic trip intentions resulting from the Government’s announcement of accelerated easing of Covid-19 restrictions has abated...

Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands Tourism Facts 2019

Find key statistics about tourism in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands

Dublin Tourism Facts 2019

Find key statistics about tourism in Dublin

Ireland’s Ancient East Tourism Facts 2019

Find key statistics about tourism in Ireland’s Ancient East

Wild Atlantic Way Tourism Facts 2019

Find key statistics about tourism along the Wild Atlantic Way

May 2021: CP&I – Consumer Update

Updated data for May shows that directly after Government announcements on easing Covid-19 restrictions intent for travel rose significantly...

April 2021: CP&I – Consumer Update

Find out more about consumer's domestic trip intentions, popular destinations and how time and distance travelled are key elements influencing destination choice...

Updated data for April shows that lack of clarity and confidence are impacting consumer decisions. Find out more about what is influencing their decision making in 2021.

March 2021: CP&I – Consumer Update

The updated figures from February 2021 (inclusive) give further insights into consumer holiday booking behaviour in 2020.

February 2021: COVID-19 Consumer Sentiment Behaviour

The data for 2020 has enabled us to set new benchmarks from which we will be assessing the 2021 data, insights and consumer sentiment...

Key Tourism Facts 2019 [pdf, 2.9mb]

Key Tourism Facts 2019 provides Fáilte Ireland’s estimates of overseas tourists’ and holidaymakers’ performance in 2019.

Targeting French Holidaymakers [pdf, 691kb]

France is an important market for Ireland. Learn more about how best to target and position Ireland to this market.

Targeting British Holidaymakers [pdf, 691kb]

Britain is a key source market for Ireland. Learn more about how best to target to this market who often consider Ireland as an extension of their domestic market.

Targeting US Holidaymakers [pdf, 691kb]

America is an important market for Ireland. Learn more about how best to target this market and what motivates travel.

Targeting German Holidaymakers [pdf, 691kb]

Germany is an important market for Ireland. Learn more about how best to target this market and what differentiates Ireland.

Impact of the VAT Reduction on Irish Tourism and Tourism Employment [pdf, 1.9MB]

The report shows that Ireland’s value for money rating improved significantly following the VAT cut in 2011 - with the initiative resulting in lower prices than would otherwise have been the case as well as generating additional activity and employment.