Tourism Ireland has outlined plans to grow overseas tourism revenue to more than €10 billion a year by 2031, representing average annual growth of around 6%. The organisation views international visitors as a cornerstone of employment and economic activity across the island.
Chief executive Alice Mansergh said overseas tourism continues to play a central role in sustaining regional economies and supporting jobs nationwide. She noted that visitors from abroad spent over €6 billion in 2025, with the long-term objective aligned with the Government’s strategy, A New Era for Irish Tourism.
While overall visitor numbers and spend were weaker last year compared with 2024, Tourism Ireland reported a return to consistent growth from August onwards. The sector faced several challenges, including wider economic uncertainty and the impact of passenger limits at Dublin Airport earlier in the year.
Speaking on RTÉ Morning Ireland, Ms Mansergh highlighted how geopolitical developments can influence consumer confidence, particularly around finances and personal security. Research carried out by Tourism Ireland found that a significant proportion of overseas consumers delayed travel plans due to uncertainty, while many became more price-conscious. At the same time, the majority continued to regard an overseas holiday as a priority, providing a solid foundation for future growth.
The United States remains Ireland’s most valuable market in terms of visitor spending, while Great Britain continues to deliver the highest visitor volumes. Tourism Ireland plans to protect these core markets while also expanding its reach. Increased investment is planned across mainland Europe, alongside further development in Canada, which has shown strong growth. Over the longer term, emerging markets such as China and India are also being targeted through partnership-building and promotional activity.
Tourism Ireland will roll out a focused marketing programme across 15 priority overseas markets. This includes creating more opportunities for Irish tourism businesses to travel internationally and promote their offerings directly. New and evolving themes such as food, outdoor activity and year-round regional experiences will form a key part of the strategy.
The organisation plans to engage overseas audiences through a mix of advertising, broadcast and streaming content, digital campaigns, social media and AI-driven activity, with the aim of spreading tourism benefits more evenly across regions and throughout the year.
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