Visit Ireland: Irish tourist hotspots size up their prospects for the summer of 2025

Despite a sharp early 2025 visitor decline, Ireland’s tourism sector remains upbeat with strong summer bookings forecasted

Weathering the storm: Akin to the views of other tourism and hospitality professionals Joyce Fegan talked to, Suzanne Burns of Kinsale Food Tours is wary of possible challenges but upbeat. ‘We are up on total numbers in comparison to the summer of 2024,’ she said. Picture: Chani Anderson

The Irish tourism season is officially upon us, with many major attractions opening their doors this month as the influx of foreign visitors begins in earnest. 

However, with stark figures from the Central Statistics Office in March showing a 25% and 30% drop in visitors here in January and February respectively, compared to the same months in 2024, what exactly is the state of the Irish tourism industry ahead of the summer season, an industry worth approximately €6.2bn to the State?