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Tourism

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Foreign visitors who departed Ireland in May 2026 stayed a total of 4.8 million nights in the country, up 16% on May 2025 and up 7% on May 2024.</p>

economy

Number of tourists who came to Ireland in May surges

Spending by foreign visitors in May also increased

<p>Almost 1,000 people took the route along St Declan's Way earlier this year.</p>

comment-analysis

Our pilgrim paths offer a massive tourism opportunity for rural Ireland

<p>Through the first five months of 2026, a total of 14.3 million passengers have passed through Dublin Airport. </p>

companies

Dublin Airport passenger numbers up 2.7% in May

Bank holiday getaway

economy

American tourists flock to Ireland as visitor numbers hit new highs

DENIS SCANNELL

munster

Fears drones will cause accident in scenic Gap of Dunloe

My Job: Irish whiskey has the ingredients to build something comparable to the Guinness Storehouse

S companies

My Job: Irish whiskey has the ingredients to build something comparable to the Guinness Storehouse

‘Ireland unrushed’ promotes slow tourism campaign to overseas markets

‘Ireland unrushed’ promotes slow tourism campaign to overseas markets

Overseas tourism is worth over €6bn annually to the economy

Fri, 22 May, 2026

Naoise Nunn: I'm an arts festival organiser — our funding has been gutted in the name of tourism

Naoise Nunn: I'm an arts festival organiser — our funding has been gutted in the name of tourism

A policy to defund arts festivals arrived with little fanfare as funding for tourism-led initiatives moved to a different government department

Wed, 20 May, 2026

Quills cut off 'Made in Pakistan' sweatshirt labels in deliberate attempt to 'mislead' buyers, court told

Quills cut off 'Made in Pakistan' sweatshirt labels in deliberate attempt to 'mislead' buyers, court told

Inspectors found clothing labels were tampered with to hide country of origin

Tue, 19 May, 2026

Market Lane boss: Restaurants desperately waiting for the reduced Vat rate

S Market Lane boss: Restaurants desperately waiting for the reduced Vat rate

Restaurants have absorbed huge new costs imposed by Government as well as price increases from the wider economy, writes Conrad Howard of the Market Lane Group in Cork

Fri, 08 May, 2026

Long-term Middle East conflict could see 'fewer long-haul visitors' visiting Kerry

Long-term Middle East conflict could see 'fewer long-haul visitors' visiting Kerry

Managing partner at BDO Liam Hession warned members of Killarney Chamber that a longer-term conflict could see budget-conscious tourists delaying or cancelling their trips

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

Achil island landscape in spring in a cloudy day with no people. Sea, coast and dramatic shore.

Fáilte Ireland spends €900k on photos, videos and drone footage to showcase tourist attractions

Fáilte Ireland said it focused on attractions and activities that were 'best showcased in the spring season' and covered 20 locations in 10 different counties

Wed, 08 Apr, 2026

Planning board allows Dingle pub to keep outdoor dining area for two more years after appeal

Planning board allows Dingle pub to keep outdoor dining area for two more years after appeal

Kerry County Council wants operators to remove, or in some cases improve, the temporary developments outside pubs, cafes and restaurants

Fri, 03 Apr, 2026

Unrecognizable couple arriving at the accommodation with their suitcases

Number of nights spent in short-term lets in Ireland breaks record in 2025

The figures, based on reservations made by holidaymakers through Airbnb, Booking and Expedia, have increased by almost two million since 2023

Thu, 02 Apr, 2026

Vat cut 'unlikely to reduce' level of hospitality closures

Vat cut 'unlikely to reduce' level of hospitality closures

Between January and March this year, there have been 213 corporate insolvency appointments — a 3% rise compared to last year

Wed, 01 Apr, 2026

Fota Island Resort owner reports reduced losses in 2025

Fota Island Resort owner reports reduced losses in 2025

In its financial statement, Xiu Lan Holdings said both Fota Island Resort and The Kingsley continue to invest in upgrading various facilities across both hotel properties

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Airlines for America warns Dublin Airport passenger cap may bring 'repercussions' from Trump

Airlines for America warns Dublin Airport passenger cap may bring 'repercussions' from Trump

Director general of the International Air Transport Association, Willie Walsh, said the cap needs to be addressed by September at the very latest

Wed, 25 Mar, 2026

Planning body turns down proposal for tourism and leisure park in west Kerry

Planning body turns down proposal for tourism and leisure park in west Kerry

Overall, the project encompassed 507 hotel bedrooms along with 144 mobile homes, 21 glamping pods, 25 holiday homes, six hobbit huts and 20 campervan stands

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

Hilton to open boutique hotel on South Terrace in Cork City

Hilton to open boutique hotel on South Terrace in Cork City

Hilton’s Cork City location will comprise 103 rooms and will also feature a restaurant and breakfast area, a bar, and a fitness space

Fri, 20 Mar, 2026

Suitcase or luggage bag near by bed in a modern hotel room. Inter views of modern hotel room

Some counties have 25 times more Airbnbs than homes to rent, new report finds

The worst affected county is Kerry, which has 31 Airbnbs for every home to let. In Clare, that ratio is 28:1

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Cork beach to get one-way road system to allow emergency vehicle access

Cork beach to get one-way road system to allow emergency vehicle access

Gardaí, ambulances, and fire brigades have found it difficult to gain access to one of the most popular beaches in Co Cork

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

Cobh to host British Titanic Society conference as hundreds of history buffs descend on East Cork

Cobh to host British Titanic Society conference as hundreds of history buffs descend on East Cork

Hundreds of international delegates will attend lectures, gala events and commemorations marking Titanic’s final Irish port of call

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

Asian senior man with luggage walking in Airport Terminal.

Tourist numbers up 27% in January

Visitors spent a combined €287m during the month, excluding fares — up from €214m last year

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Hotel Reception Desk with Vintage Silver Bell

Irish hotel occupancy rose to 76% last year

Irish Hotels Federation says the sector is cautiously optimistic for 2026, partly boosted by the return of the 9% Vat rate in July

Mon, 23 Feb, 2026

Unrecognizable couple arriving at the accommodation with their suitcases

Lack of clarity on short-term lets pushing tourism industry 'off the Cliffs of Moher'

The chairman of the Irish Self-Catering Federation also said there were two concerns about planning

Wed, 18 Feb, 2026

Booking.com HQ headquarters head office building on the Rembrandtplein Rembrandt Square with the statue of Rembrandt. Amsterdam.

Timing of short-term letting regulations an 'impossible challenge' for small operators

Oireachtas enterprise committee to hear from Booking.com's Fiona MacCnnacher

Wed, 18 Feb, 2026

Boat tour leaving Dingle harbour for Fungie Dolphin watching

'Small craft harbour' at Dingle gets green light despite objections over tourism pressures

The new harbour would facilitate around 125 yachts rather than fishing vessels, according to one objection

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Kenmare, Ireland

Government rollback means short-term let restrictions will only apply to towns of more than 20,000 people

Under the original plans, restrictions on short-term lets were due to apply to any town with a population of 10,000 or more

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Early morning tourist trying to solve a sudoku, Playa de Las Vistas Beach, Los Cristianos, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Spain sets tourism record as 19m from UK help take foreign visitors total to 96m

Spain has set a new tourism record, welcoming nearly 96.8 million foreign visitors in 2025, according to figures released by the National Statistics Institute.The number of international visitors was up 3.2% compared with 2024, which saw 94 million ...

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Listowel Writers' Week looks to turn the page on funding controversy

Listowel Writers' Week looks to turn the page on funding controversy

A revived festival, major Arts Council funding and unanswered questions have sparked deep divisions within Kerry’s close-knit literary community

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Roma - Primo giorno di accesso a pagamento alla Fontana di Trevi

Want to see Rome’s famous Trevi Fountain up close? It will cost you…

The first tourists to pass through the new ticket check seemed unbothered by the tariff

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Man going on summer vacation

Booking a holiday? Here's how to avoid scam websites, lost deposits and missed flights

The consumer watchdog received 2,700 complaints last year ranging from scam websites to lost luggage, writes John Hearne

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

travel concept, people in the airport

Strong December visitor numbers bolsters otherwise poor year for Irish tourism

Over the course of the full year, foreign visitor numbers declined by 3% to 6.4 million

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Medieval fortified city of Carcassonne, France

Timoleague and Quin abbeys could be Ireland's Carcassonne

Cork and Clare abbeys are among Ireland's many crumbling monasteries and friaries. We should take our lead from a 19th century French architect who restored Carcassonne — or emulate our own restoration of Holycross in Tipperary

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026

PAUL MANGAN

Inside Dublin’s Museum of Curiosities as conjoined lambs and historic royal cake go on display

Dublin’s Museum of Curiosities is expanding with rare, unsettling artefacts collected from across Europe and beyond

Sun, 11 Jan, 2026

travel concept, people in the airport

November tourism figures up 13%

On average, each person spent €754 when fares were excluded

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Micheal Martin visit to China

Taoiseach moves on to Shanghai on China visit where the message is the same: Invest in Ireland

Whereas the first half of Micheál Martin's visit in Beijing was about politics and a stronger diplomatic relationship, Shanghai is about the Irish economy

Wed, 07 Jan, 2026

Cork Airport serves 3.46 million passengers in busiest year ever breaking 15-year-old record

Cork Airport serves 3.46 million passengers in busiest year ever breaking 15-year-old record

Cork Airport is also undergoing significant development with €200m being allocated for projects in May last year

Wed, 07 Jan, 2026

Airbnb Website Ahead Of Earnings Figures

Paul Hosford: As homelessness rises, thousands of Irish homes sit vacant on short-term letting sites

With homelessness at record levels, Ireland must confront the reality of thousands of homes lying empty for tourism profit

Sun, 04 Jan, 2026

Tourism sector forecasts revenue rebound in 2026 after challenging year

Tourism sector forecasts revenue rebound in 2026 after challenging year

Visitor numbers to Ireland are expected to be down 6% this year, but tourism industry intelligence points to a flat year or one marginally down

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Fixing South Kerry's depopulation problem

Fixing South Kerry's depopulation problem

An alarming drop in the number of children in South Kerry is running counter to the population rise elsewhere, and it's all down to housing policy, writes Orla Hegarty

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Waitress Serving Drinks To Group Of Friends Sitting At Table In Pub Garden Enjoying Drink Together

Why can't hospitality build a stable, happy workforce?

An industry that loses people faster than it can train them definitely isn’t sustainable — something has to change, writes Orla McAndrew

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Dublin airport Terminal 1, people checking in for their flights

Airline seat capacity to Ireland expected to rise 15% this winter

the figures from Fáilte Ireland come amid a pause in the Dublin Airport passenger cap

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

Iconic East Cork pub with Hollywood link set to close

Iconic East Cork pub with Hollywood link set to close

Moby Dick’s bar in Youghal, Co Cork, will eventually go up for sale but will cease trading on New Year's Day

Sun, 30 Nov, 2025

A general view of the action 28/9/2025

NFL Dublin: Talks underway to host more American Football games in Ireland

Cabinet hears that discussions are underway to host another NFL international game in Croke Park in 2026

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Councillors call for more public toilets at popular outdoor pursuit areas in Kerry

Councillors call for more public toilets at popular outdoor pursuit areas in Kerry

However, the council said it must bring existing toilets up to modern standards before it can expand that number

Wed, 12 Nov, 2025

3d car motorhome, 3d rendering concept for advertising

West Cork needs more camper van sites as beaches 'congested'

A recent meeting of Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District heard regulation was needed in certain areas to limit the amount of time camper vans were allowed to stay

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

Passenger airplane flying above clouds during sunset

Tourism spending falls 16% in September

This is despite a rise in the number of foreign visitors here when compared to the same month last year

Wed, 29 Oct, 2025

Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist

Almost half of Ireland's tourism businesses reported fall in income during summer season

Fáilte Ireland survey found 43% of all tourism businesses had reported a fall in income this summer compared to the same period in 2024

Mon, 27 Oct, 2025

Two Michelin star restaurant, Terre, helps five-star Castlemartyr Resort raise revenue

Two Michelin star restaurant, Terre, helps five-star Castlemartyr Resort raise revenue

Dinner at Terre is €220 per person excluding beverages

Mon, 20 Oct, 2025