The Government has announced a new plan to increase the number of tourists visiting Ireland by one million per year for the next five years.
It will see the development of a balanced regional spread of tourism throughout the country, prioritising investment in less mature tourism destinations.
It will also focus on improving the digitisation of tourism businesses as well as extending the tourist season from St Brigid’s weekend to Halloween.
There will also be a culinary focus, with a focus on turning the island of Ireland into a “foodie” holiday destination.
The number of tourists visiting Ireland is down this year compared to last year.
In the ten months to October, just over 5.4 million people came to Ireland, compared to 5.8 million in 2024, a reduction of 6.5%.
Performance targets for Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland will also be introduced, in a bid to boost tourism.
Minister for Tourism Peter Burke launched the plan ‘A New Era for Irish Tourism’ at Belvedere House in Mullingar, describing it as “an exciting day for tourism in Ireland”.
He said this tourism policy, for the first time, places a key focus on food-related tourism.
Food trails and week-long food-centred holidays will be developed across the island of Ireland, as part of the strategy.
“We are setting the course of direction and the areas for investment for the next five years,” said Mr Burke.
“I firmly believe that untapped potential exists in many parts of the country, and this policy is designed to unlock that opportunity.
“We want every community, from urban centres to rural heartlands, to benefit from tourism’s growth and ensure Ireland is the best location to visit in Europe,” he added.
Mr Burke said the plan will also focus on SMEs involved in tourism, with increased support promised.
“In total, we’re targeting growth in international tourism revenue by 6% per annum and domestic revenue by 7% per annum.
“We want to see 90% of tourism SMEs supported to adopt advanced digital tools, and to grow employment in the sector to 250,000,” he said.
Mr Burke said he wants to see more balanced regional development around tourism and hopes that every community will benefit from this new plan.
He said there also needs to be a focus on improving digitisation.
“80% of people who plan their trips are getting their information online and 30% are using generative AI to plan their itineraries,” he said.
On the capacity of hotels, Mr Burke said he is confident Ireland has the capacity to deal with tourism growth.
He said there are 11,500 bed spaces under construction, 8,500 of which are in Dublin.
“So we have very significant capacity,” he said.
On the use of hotels by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), leaving many towns across Ireland without a hotel, Mr Burke said there has been a reduction in State contracts, with 5% of hotels in Ireland now being used for such accommodation.
Mr Burke said there will be a 17% increase in the number of flights coming into Ireland this winter, and that provides a “huge amount of opportunity”.
In terms of cost, Mr Burke said Ireland “had a strong value proposition”.
