Ireland witnessed a significant 30 per cent drop in the number of foreign visitors to the Emerald Isle in February this year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
Approximately 304,300 visitors traveled to Ireland last month, compared to 433,300 visitors in February 2024, as per CSO data on inbound tourism.
“This decrease represents an accelaration of the downward year-on-year trend in foreign visitor numbers that first emerged in September 2024,” Gregg Patrick, CSO statistician said.
Notably, there was also a 31 per cent decline in visitor spending, with foreigners spending €196 million on their trips (excluding fares), compared to €284 million in February 2024.
Visitors from Great Britain (49 per cent) constituted the largest contingent of foreigners making a trip to Ireland, followed by the United States (10 per cent) and Germany (5.8 per cent).
According to CSO data, the most frequent reason for travelling to the country was to visit family or friends. A typical visit lasted 5.9 nights, down from an average of 6.2 nights in February 2024.