Fáilte Ireland remains optimistic about tourism boom despite drop in global air capacity

Although the tourism industry is on track to return to pre-2020 levels of activity, travellers are set to be hit with soaring ticket prices. 

Fáilte Ireland says it remains optimistic about a predicted tourism boom despite global air capacity at the end of June being 2.5% below where it was in the same week in 2019 before the pandemic hit the travel industry.

A presentation by the tourism body showed that planned seat capacity to the Republic of Ireland this summer is expected to be more than 100% of its pre-pandemic levels, with an average of 500,000 seats per week.

Fáilte Ireland estimated that total seat capacity will reach 15.1m this summer.

The UK is the market with the largest seat capacity to the Republic, offering on average 170,000 seats weekly across all six regional airports this summer.

Meanwhile, planned seat capacity from the US is now close to its 2019 levels, with six in 10 flights operated by Aer Lingus.

Tourism bodies expect 2023 to be a bumper year for the industry, as pandemic travel restrictions have been lifted across the globe. However, Irish sea travel is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels in the Republic.

Maximum passenger capacity on board ferries to the Republic is estimated at 127,000 per week from April to June, and at 118,000 for the rest of the summer — 8% below 2019 levels for that period.

However, scheduled sea capacity (the number of passengers already expected to board) on the Continental corridor is due to increase by up to 15,000 passengers between July and October this year, which is 33% up on 2019 figures, while scheduled sea capacity on the Cross Channel corridor is set to drop by 19,000 during the same period — a 15% decline compared with 2019.

Rising air fares

A separate report released earlier this year by Fáilte Ireland showed the tourism sector lost around €12bn in revenue due to the pandemic.

Although the tourism industry is on track to return to pre-2020 levels of activity, travellers are set to be hit with soaring ticket prices. 

“The sharp increase in air fares is hampering the recovery of the entire aviation ecosystem,” said Airports Council International Asia-Pacific, a trade group.

Many of its members have lost money for 10 consecutive quarters. The group said it wants carriers to “exercise responsible and fair” pricing that supports the travel recovery and consumers’ best interests.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg