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Great Britain

About the Great Britain market 
Great Britain (GB) is the island of Ireland’s largest market, in terms of tourist numbers and nights. In 2023, we welcomed over 3.9 million tourists from Great Britain to the island of Ireland, whose visits generated around €1.8/£1.5 billion in revenue; this represented 45% of all overseas tourists and around 27% of all overseas tourism revenue. 

The contribution of GB visitors to our regional tourism economy and to season extension is significant, with around 39% visiting during Q1 (January to March) and Q4 (October to December). The GB market also delivers repeat holidaymakers (49% in 2023) and, with research showing that repeat visitors are more likely to stay longer, spend more and venture beyond our cities into our regions, this makes their potential ‘lifetime value’ significant to our overall tourism economy.

Air and sea access
This is a wide choice of airlines flying from over 26 gateways across Great Britain to nine different airports on the island of Ireland. There are several sailings each day from ferry ports in Great Britain, including from Cairnryan, Holyhead, Fishguard, Liverpool and Pembroke. With excellent access links, short journey times and the benefit of the Common Travel Area, the island of Ireland is an ideal close-to-home choice for GB holidaymakers. 

How to work in the Great Britain market  
In an ever-changing and competitive market, we will work with you to select the marketing opportunity that’s right for you and support you in promoting your business, drive bookings and grow relationships from this all-important market.  

Upcoming activity  
Please check the Industry Opportunities section of our website on a regular basis, to find out what’s on offer and how you can be involved throughout the year. You can also register for email alerts for the latest information and upcoming opportunities. If you have any questions, please drop us a line – we're here to help. 


Further information about Great Britain

Opens in new window Great Britain Market Profile 2023 PDF | 1.13MB Opens in new window GB Social Media Factsheet 2023 PDF | 2.68MB Opens in new window Great Britain Market Review – A Strategy for Growth 2019-2025 PDF | 36.48MB

Get in touch

Tourism Ireland Office Great Britain

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