Tourism Ireland’s latest research reveals what motivates overseas visitors to choose the island of Ireland

Tourism Ireland has unveiled the findings of its latest programme of research today (2 September). The research was commissioned to understand the current views of consumers in our top tourism markets regarding international travel and what would compel them to choose the island of Ireland for a holiday. The findings were shared at a virtual event which was attended by hundreds of tourism and travel operators from the island of Ireland and overseas. 

Tourism Ireland partnered with RED C to conduct a study among 8,000+ potential holidaymakers in eight key tourism markets – Great Britain, the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Canada and, for the first time, the Netherlands. Tourism Ireland uses the findings of its research to continually refine its marketing programme overseas, in order to grow the value of inbound tourism for economies and communities across the island.

Some of the main findings of the latest programme of research include:

• Among overseas holidaymakers, 65% feel international holidays are worth spending on; however, 41% say the cost of living will impact how much they travel. Around 25% are holding off booking travel due to uncertainty in the current economic environment.
• Exploration continues to be the primary holiday need for travellers and the ability to disconnect is the second most influential factor in destination selection.
• While sun destinations like Spain, Italy and France are still among the most commonly considered for holidays, 35% of overseas audiences say they have reconsidered destinations based on extreme weather, giving rise to the term ‘coolcation’. Ireland ranks competitively among Northern European destinations in terms of consideration by overseas visitors.
• Value for money is top of mind – it is a question of both price and whether a destination is seen as ‘worth it’.  Americans continue to have the most positive view of value. 71% of Americans see Ireland as either ‘good value’ or ‘premium and worth it’. This compares to 62% in Germany and France and 53% in Great Britain, showing that competitiveness is a key consideration for close-to-home markets. 
• Landscape, culture, key attractions and curiosity are the primary reasons visitors say they consider Ireland.
• As an island, ability to travel to us is important. Ease of getting to Ireland is most positively viewed in the US (71%), Great Britain (80%) and Spain (67%), with those in Germany and the Netherlands finding it less easy (48%).
• 62% of visitors would be open to using public transport as a means of getting around.  
• Primary means of gaining inspiration include recommendations, online search, TV and film and social media. When it comes to actively researching, twice as many people (9%) cite regularly using generative AI as a support compared to six months ago.
• Underlining the power of imagery, Northern Ireland and Ireland rank alongside Iceland as top three destinations where prior visitors have actively shared photos on Instagram.

This programme of research continues to help inform Tourism Ireland’s future promotional activity.

Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said:“Our latest Sentiment Tracker Research, undertaken with RED C in June, offers valuable insights into the key motivators for overseas holidaymakers. We were keen to understand how attitudes have changed this year. It’s good to see that 65% of overseas holidaymakers value international travel and that Ireland is a strong part of the consideration set, ranking competitively alongside Northern European destinations. That said, a quarter of holidaymakers say they are holding off booking travel, because of economic uncertainty. It’s all the more important to show holidaymakers what Ireland can offer, with exploration of landscapes, culture and heritage cited as compelling reasons to travel. In terms of value, those in the US are most likely to perceive Ireland as good value and relatively easy to get to, while there is an opportunity to strengthen perceptions in Mainland Europe, where competitiveness is a factor. The good news is that among those who have visited, perceptions of value tend to be stronger than among those who have not yet visited, based on experiences visitors have had, so our opportunity is to elevate perceptions of what’s on offer to motivate travel.

"Tourism Ireland will make use of the latest insights, as we roll out marketing for the rest of this year to win travel through relevant publicity, advertising, digital, social and AI channels. We partner closely with air and sea carriers, overseas tour operators, as well as local industry, to bring visitors to our shores and to the communities and businesses who thrive through welcoming them.”