Some 441,200 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in March 2025, down 15% compared with March 2024, and up 4% compared with March 2023.
The visitors spent €326 million on their trips (excluding fares), down 22% compared with March 2024, and up 1% compared with March 2023.
The largest contingent of visitors came from Great Britain (40%), and the second largest came from the United States (19%).
The most frequent reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday (36%).
Visitors stayed a total of 2.9 million nights in the country, a drop of 8% when compared with March 2024, and down 9% when compared with March 2023.
The average length of stay for foreign resident overnight visitors was 6.5 nights, up from an average of 6.0 nights in March 2024, and down from 7.4 nights in March 2023.
The Inbound Tourism release is published every month and provides unique and timely insights on visitor trips to Ireland.
This release is based on the CSO Passenger Survey which is collected from approximately 13,000 departing passengers per month at the country’s international ports and airports by a team of dedicated CSO Tourist Enumerator staff. The data collected is calibrated against passenger flow data provided by the ports and airports.
Users should note that visitors are counted not by nationality but by country of residence, as such, foreign passport holders who are normally resident in Ireland are included as domestic travellers and not foreign visitors, while Irish passport holders who reside abroad and make a trip to Ireland are counted as visitors.
Foreign visitors in the context of this release refers to overseas residents who have stayed at least one night in Ireland. Visits from residents of Northern Ireland are not captured. Foreign visitors who depart Ireland via the airports and seaports of Northern Ireland are not captured in the survey.
March typically accounts for between 7% and 8% of total annual visitor figures. Given the relatively small proportion of the total visitors accounted for in this period, external factors such as the date of Easter or other periodic events may have an observable impact.
To learn more about the methodology, please see the accompanying FAQ.
Some 441,200 foreign residents completed their visits to Ireland in March 2025, a decrease of 15% compared with March 2024. These visitors spent 2.9 million nights in Ireland, a drop of 8% compared with the same month in 2024. The visitors’ average length of stay was 6.5 nights, up from an average of 6.0 nights in March 2024. The visitors spent €325.7 million on their trips, a decrease of 22% compared with March 2024. The average cost of their trips excluding fares in March 2025 was €738, whereas the average cost 12 months previously was €799.
| Inbound Tourism, March 2025 versus March 2024 | ||||
| Mar-24 | Mar-25 | Change | ||
| Visitors ('000s) | 521.8 | 441.2 | -80.6 | -15.4% |
| Nights ('000s) | 3,109.8 | 2,853.6 | -256.2 | -8.2% |
| Average length of stay (nights) | 6.0 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 8.5% |
| Expenditure - excluding fares (€million) | 417.0 | 325.7 | -91.3 | -21.9% |
| Mean expenditure - excluding fares (€) | 799 | 738 | -61 | -7.6% |
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Jan | 400 | 451.9 | 338.9 |
| Feb | 337 | 433.3 | 304.3 |
| Mar | 425.2 | 521.8 | 441.2 |
| Apr | 461.9 | 549.1 | |
| May | 573.3 | 622.3 | |
| Jun | 619.9 | 669.5 | |
| Jul | 650.2 | 655.4 | |
| Aug | 737.6 | 763.6 | |
| Sep | 582.1 | 578.1 | |
| Oct | 577.4 | 548.1 | |
| Nov | 447.5 | 407.7 | |
| Dec | 445.2 | 390.7 |
In total, 1,572,100 passengers departed Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025, a 5.0% decrease compared with March 2024. The majority of departing passengers (63.9%) were Irish residents heading outbound for tourism or other purposes. A further 8.0% were same day visitors, comprising Northern Ireland residents heading outbound via an airport or seaport in the Republic of Ireland (3.9%), foreign resident transfer passengers (2.8%), or other foreign resident same day visitors (1.3%). Some 28.1% of the departing passengers were foreign resident overnight visitors, constituting 441,200 visitors in total. The remainder of this release focuses exclusively on the characteristics and activities of these foreign resident overnight visitors (referred to simply as foreign visitors).
Of the 441,200 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025, the highest proportion (39.9%) was from Great Britain, accounting for 176,100 of the visitors in total. The second highest proportion (18.8%) was from the United States, accounting for 82,900 visitors. The third highest proportion (7.2%) came from France comprising a further 31,800 visitors. By way of comparison, in March 2024 there were 199,500 visitors from Great Britain, 101,400 from the United States, and 28,700 from France.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025 spent a total of 2,853,600 nights in the country. Broken down by residency, the Other Europe visitors spent more nights in the country than any other residency group, accounting for 1,186,100 (41.6%) of the nights. The next most important visitor group, in terms of nights spent, was Great Britain, making up 722,500 (25.3%) of the total nights. Visitors from the United States of America & Canada were third most important, accounting for a further 704,300 (24.7%) of the nights. Other visitors made up 240,700 (8.4%) of the nights. Compared with March 2024, the total visitor nights in the country fell by 8.2%. The average length of stay increased, from 6.0 nights in March 2024 to 6.5 nights in March 2025.
Among the 441,200 foreign visitors departing Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025, more had come for holiday than for any other reason. Some 159,600 (36.2%) had holiday as the main reason for their trip. The next most likely reason was for visiting family and friends, with 156,300 (35.4%) of the visitors coming for this purpose. A further 72,200 (16.4%) of the visitors had come for business or work-related reasons. Compared with March 2024, visitors visiting for holiday fell by 34.5%, visiting family and friends rose by 1.9%, and those visiting for business or work fell by 11.7%.
Among the 441,200 foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025, some 189,600 (43.0%) stayed in a hotel. Another 178,000 (40.3%) of the visitors stayed in their own property or with family and friends. A further 21,100 (4.8%) of the visitors used rented/self-catering as their main accommodation type, while 18,900 (4.3%) of the foreign visitors used guest house/bed & breakfast as their main accommodation type. By way of comparison, in March 2024 some 258,000 visitors stayed in a hotel, 187,200 stayed in their own property or with family or friends, 20,300 stayed in rented/self-catering accommodation and 22,300 used guest house/bed & breakfast types.
Foreign visitors who departed Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025 spent a total of €325.7 million, excluding fares, on their trips (a decrease of 21.9% compared with March 2024).
The total amount spent by foreign visitors (including fares) was €447.8 million. Broken down by expense category, the costliest subheading was day-to-day spending (incidental expenditures incurred during their visit such as eating out, entrance fees, public transport, etc., but excluding accommodation), amounting to €177 million (39.5% of the total expenditure). The next costliest subheading was accommodation at €137.8 million (30.8% of the total). Fares cost a further €122.1 million (27.3% of the total). Lastly, prepayments (items paid in advance, such as car hire, pre-booked tickets, etc.) comprised just €10.9 million (2.4% of the total).
Overall, in March 2025 the typical foreign visitor spent €1,015 (€738 excluding fares) on their trip to Ireland, breaking down as €277 on their fare, €25 on prepayments, €312 on accommodation, and €401 on day-to-day expenses. In March 2024, the comparable mean expenditure on these items was €271, €25, €354, and €420 respectively.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Jan | 231.1 | 297 | 214 |
| Feb | 217.7 | 283.7 | 195.6 |
| Mar | 323.4 | 417 | 325.7 |
| Apr | 370.7 | 418.2 | |
| May | 477.4 | 602.9 | |
| Jun | 601 | 684.4 | |
| Jul | 621.3 | 649.9 | |
| Aug | 733.2 | 820.1 | |
| Sep | 600 | 676.9 | |
| Oct | 515.8 | 534.3 | |
| Nov | 333.8 | 315.9 | |
| Dec | 412.9 | 328.6 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (29 April 2025) published Inbound Tourism March 2025.
Commenting on the release, Gregg Patrick, Statistician in the Tourism and Travel Division, said:
“The results show that 441,200 foreign visitors departed Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025, a decrease of 15% compared with March 2024. This decrease continues the downward year-on-year trend in foreign visitor numbers first observed in September 2024. However, the decrease in March 2025 was less than the decrease in February 2025.
In the first quarter of 2025, which covers the months of January, February, and March, foreign visitors were down 23% compared with Q1 2024, and down 7% compared with the same period in 2023.
In March 2025, visitors from Great Britain were down 12% compared with March 2024, visitors from Continental Europe were down 17%, visitors from North America were down 18%, and visitors from the Rest of the World were down 24%. However, compared with March 2023, visitors from these areas were up 4%, 8%, 3%, and down 26% respectively.
The visitors' expenditure in Ireland (excluding fares) was €326 million. Visitors from Great Britian accounted for €81 million (25%), Continental Europe accounted for €122 million (37%), North America for €102 million (31%), and visitors from the Rest of the World for €21 million (6%). Taken together, this represented a decrease of 22% compared with March 2024, and an increase of 1% compared to March 2023.
The visitors most frequent reason for their journey was for holiday or leisure (36%). Their second most frequent reason was to visit friends or relatives (35%). More of the visitors stayed in a hotel (43%) than in any other accommodation type, and the typical visit lasted 6.5 nights.”