One in four Irish people took no holiday last year
A quarter of all people took no holiday either at home or abroad last year, according to new research published by Fáilte Ireland. Picture: Dan Linehan
A quarter of all people took no holiday either at home or abroad last year, according to new research published by Fáilte Ireland.
However, the State tourism body said there were signs that more consumers were likely to take either short or long breaks within Ireland over the summer.
A survey of consumer’s travel habits found 25% did not take any break during 2020, compared to 9% the previous year.
The proportion of people who said they did not take any long holiday was even higher and rose to 48% last year from 21% in 2019.
Fáilte Ireland said the figures showed that domestic holiday rates did not increase during 2020, despite restrictions on international travel.
As a result, domestic tourism providers did not see the benefit of potential staycations due to the high proportion of people who preferred not to travel at all last year.
Although 60% of people said they took fewer domestic breaks in 2020 compared to previous years, Fáilte Ireland said a higher proportion seemed intent on taking more trips this year.
“This is an early indication of a change in consumer behaviour, driven by a reconsideration of domestic breaks,” said a Fáilte Ireland spokesperson.
The latest figures show 65% of people in the Republic intend to take a short break over the coming year, with an even higher proportion among families with young children.
In contrast, just 43% of people in Northern Ireland indicated they intended to take a short break in 2020.
Only a third of holidaymakers said they planned taking a long break in Ireland over the coming 12 months.
“Most consumers are still hedging their bets and adopting a wait-and-see attitude before they make their final bookings,” the spokesperson said.
To date, only 14% of consumers have made a booking for a long break in Ireland over the coming six months.
Fáilte Ireland claimed many bookings were likely to be made at the last minute, similar to last year, as people still hoped to be able to travel internationally this year, especially for longer breaks.
“This suggests many will seize the opportunity for overseas travel if allowed,” the spokesperson added.
However, Fáilte Ireland said such travellers were likely to default to domestic holidays in the event that restrictions on foreign travel remained in place.
It said the results of its latest survey showed young adults without children from Northern Ireland were showing a strong interest in taking holidays in the Republic, particularly looking at Dublin as a destination.
Feedback shows Galway is the most popular city destination for all domestic tourists, with Donegal, Kerry, Galway Cork and Wexford the top choice for holidaymakers.
Fáilte Ireland said there was no evidence that either the optimism or pessimism felt by consumers about catching Covid-19 had any impact on their booking habits.
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