Attractions Behind Pre-Covid Levels

Visitor numbers to Ireland’s leading visitor attractions in 2023 are still lagging behind pre-pandemic times says Ireland’s Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions.

Figures published in the industry research survey by AVEA detail that some 18.1 million visitors enjoyed a visit to an Irish visitor experience or attraction during 2023; this compares to significantly more than in 2022 but still well below 22.9 million visitors in 2019. The 2023 figure is 6% below the 2019 total, however, AVEA members noted that it was a strong performance given that Ireland’s inbound tourist numbers in 2023 were still about 35% below that recorded in 2019, showing that the domestic visitor market is hugely valuable for AVEA members.

Given this reliance on the domestic visitor market, CEO of AVEA Catherine Flanagan says:

“There is no doubt that, while the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, we are still in a period of transition. 2023 was considered the first ‘full’ year of tourism where aviation connectivity was restored to pre-pandemic levels; however, the ‘staycation’ market segment is still one that is of vital importance to Ireland’s visitor attractions.”

However, current data for the 2024 tourism season highlights concerning visitor levels in the current season; CSO data for July 2024 revealed that international bed nights fell 350,000, or 6%, when compared with the previous year, while travel data also shows a jump in travel from Ireland to European hotspots, with visitor numbers from Ireland to Spain alone up by 18% year on year.

Catherine said:

“We are all aware that there has been a huge disruption to the tourism accommodation sector in recent years, with more uncertainty on the horizon as the legislation around short-term letting is framed. Visitor attractions this year have felt the harsh impact of many factors, including the lack of accommodation availability at a range of prices, coupled with a summer of poor weather and shorter stays by overseas visitors.”

AVEA member visitor attractions employ over 6,400 people and generated an estimated €362 million in revenues in 2023, a very high proportion of which flowed into their local economies in wages and purchasing of goods and services. Staff costs account for the largest share of operating costs at 49%, a proportion that is forecast to increase significantly as the ripple effect of successive changes to wage legislation takes hold. There was an increase of just over 5% in average ticket prices to enter attractions, reaching a median of €11.32 net of VAT, and on the other hand, the average retail spend per head fell by 8% to €4.70, while the majority of survey respondents also experienced an increase in insurance premiums, the average being about 12%.