Rise in Irish staycations sees spending on Revolut up 5%

Spending on hotels and resorts rose by 15% compared to the same period last year, with spending on health and beauty spas up by more than 38%

The fintech giant noted Ireland's staycationers are spending more at local cafes, bars and restaurants, which were up by almost 5% on the same period last year. Picture Chani Anderson

A return of staycations has led to a record month for Revolut spending in Ireland this July as more customers opt to holiday at home over abroad, new figures released by the company show.

Tracking more than 58 million card payments, Revolut saw an almost 5% increase in spending compared to the previous month, with customers holidaying in Ireland cited as a key driver in the broader uplift. 

Spending on hotels and resorts in Ireland rose by 15% compared to the same period last year, with spending on health and beauty spas among Revolut's 2.8 million Irish users up by more than 38%. 

In addition, the amount spent on camping sites and caravan parks jumped by more than 14% in July compared to the same month in 2023.

With more customers travelling across Ireland in the summer months, spending at service stations rose by almost 19% annually in July, with EV charging rising significantly by more than 46% since the same time last year. 

Staycations have also driven a surge in toll charges, with customers spending over 33% more to reach their destination faster than in July 2023, highlighting an uplift in domestic tourism, Revolut said.

At the journey's end, the fintech giant noted that Ireland's staycationers spent more at local cafes, bars and restaurants,
up by almost 5% compared to the same period last year. 

Other leisure activities such as tourist attractions and museums rose by nearly 18%, with boat rentals increasing by more than 25%.