Ireland welcomed 528,100 foreign visitors in April 2025, marking a 4% decline from the same month last year, according to new statistics released by the Central Statistics Office.
While visitor numbers dropped compared to April 2024, the figures show a robust 14% increase when measured against April 2023, indicating continued recovery in the tourism sector following the pandemic.
Visitors spent €375 million during their stays, excluding airfare costs, representing a 10% decrease from April 2024 but maintaining a modest 1% increase over April 2023 levels.
British and American Tourists Lead Visitor Numbers
Great Britain remained Ireland’s largest source market, accounting for 41% of all foreign visitors, followed by the United States at 18%. British visitors contributed €96 million to the economy, while North American tourists spent €121 million during their trips.
Continental European visitors represented the highest spending group, contributing €134 million or 36% of total visitor expenditure, despite making up a smaller portion of overall visitor numbers.
Holiday Travel Dominates Tourism Patterns
Leisure travel emerged as the primary reason for visiting Ireland, with 40% of tourists citing holidays as their main purpose. Visiting friends and relatives came in a close second at 38%, highlighting the importance of diaspora connections to Irish tourism.
The majority of visitors, 42%, chose to stay with family or in their own properties rather than commercial accommodations. The average stay lasted 6.5 nights, slightly up from 6.4 nights in April 2024, though down from the 7.9-night average recorded in April 2023.
Industry Optimism Despite Statistical Decline
Despite the official statistics showing a decline, tourism industry leaders expressed optimism about April’s performance. Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, noted that industry data suggests April was actually a strong month.
“Industry record bums on seats and heads on pillows as opposed to the CSO sample survey – there remains a misalignment of sorts between the two data sources but it is narrowing and this is welcome,” Walsh explained.
Gregg Patrick, statistician in the tourism and travel division, confirmed that visitors generated 3.4 million nights of accommodation, down just 1% from April 2024 and 6% below April 2023 levels.
The mixed signals between official statistics and industry reports highlight ongoing challenges in accurately measuring tourism recovery as the sector continues to stabilize following years of pandemic-related disruption.