Irish residents took 2.9 million outbound overnight trips in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.
The CSO’s Household Travel Survey, which measures national tourism patterns, shows that spending by Irish residents on overseas trips reached €2.2 billion during the first three months of the year, up 6% from €2.1 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2024.
The data reveals that visiting friends or relatives remains the primary motivation for domestic overnight trips, accounting for 42% of journeys, followed by holiday purposes at 36%. Business travel represented 7% of total domestic overnight trips during the quarter.
Within Ireland, the Southern region proved most popular with domestic travelers, attracting 1 million overnight trips. This region encompasses Clare, Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, Cork, and Kerry. In contrast, the Northern and Western region, covering Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon, recorded the lowest number of domestic overnight trips at 0.8 million.
The total number of nights spent on trips reached 13.8 million, marking a 6% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024, with travelers staying an average of 4.7 nights per trip.
Hotel accommodation saw significant growth, with the number of domestic trips using hotels as the main accommodation rising from 1 million trips in Q1 2024 to 1.2 million trips in Q1 2025.
Aaron Costello, statistician in the CSO’s tourism and travel division, noted some contrasting trends in the data. “The number of nights spent on domestic overnight trips taken in Q1 2025 was 10% lower than in the same period in 2024,” he said.
For domestic travel, friends or relatives provided accommodation for 43% of trips, closely followed by hotels at 42%. Self-catering or rented properties accounted for 5% of domestic trips, reflecting the continued preference for traditional accommodation types among Irish travelers.
The figures indicate a robust recovery in Irish travel patterns, with both international and domestic tourism showing strong growth in spending and trip numbers as the travel sector continues to rebound.