AVEA Records 19.2M Visitors
The Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA) recorded 19.2 million annual visitors, falling short of pre-pandemic levels of almost 23 million in 2019. Staffing costs accounted for 52% of operating expenses, insurance represents 3%, and recruiting guides and front-of-house staff remain a significant challenge, particularly for smaller and regional attractions. Ticket sales make up 46% of revenue, with the median admission price at €11 and median retail spend at €4 per visitor, highlighting the sector’s high overheads and tight margins.
AVEA will host its eighth annual conference on 13 and 14 October 2025 in Waterford, welcoming more than 200 leaders from the visitor attraction sector across Ireland. The conference, themed "Ireland’s Tourism Mosaic of Amazing Places", will explore the resilience, diversity and challenges facing the sector, alongside opportunities to drive innovation, regional growth and sustainable tourism.
While tourism in Ireland is in a stronger position than five years ago, global economic uncertainty, rising operational costs and changing holiday patterns present ongoing challenges. International visitor numbers are down 11% to the end of July 2025, and visitor spend has fallen by 14.75% compared with 2024, according to the latest CSO data, with shorter length of stay being a contributing factor. Two-thirds of attractions reported flat or reduced visitor numbers year-to-date. Attractions outside major tourist hubs continue to rely heavily on the domestic market, and the cost of doing business remains the most pressing barrier to growth, with soaring energy, insurance, food and maintenance costs placing intense pressure on margins.
In response, AVEA is calling for urgent policy measures in advance of Budget 2026. The sector’s priorities include targeted support for SMEs to offset the cost of doing business, reduction of VAT on admissions to 9%, and strengthened investment in Ireland’s tourism ecosystem. Extending the 9% VAT rate, currently under consideration for food services, to visitor attractions would cost the Exchequer just €15 million in 2026, while delivering substantial benefits to regional economies.
AVEA is also advocating for tourism to be fully embedded in enterprise, innovation, productivity, competitiveness and employment strategies, ensuring the sector can reach its full economic potential. This includes increased budgets for Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, investment in overseas marketing and new market development, removal of infrastructure barriers such as the Dublin Airport cap, and support for digital innovation, sustainable tourism, accessibility initiatives and regional SMEs.
All of these issues will be delved into at the upcoming conference in Waterford, home to AVEA members including Mount Congreve Gardens, Waterford Treasures, House of Waterford Crystal and Lismore Heritage Centre, which provides an ideal backdrop for the conference.
The conference will feature presentations from international and national speakers, including Donna Speed, CEO of "We The Curious" in Bristol; Kat Brogan of Mercat Tours in Edinburgh; Mark Kelly, president of AI Ireland; and academics from the University of Limerick Centre for Tourism Policy Research. Tourism Ireland will share insights on emerging overseas markets, while an industry panel will discuss challenges and opportunities facing Dublin.
Catherine Flanagan, CEO of AVEA, said: "This conference is an essential forum to discuss the latest data from our members, review current performance trends and set out the sector’s priorities for Budget 2026."
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