Holidaymakers choosing Ireland for its scenery and culture, research finds

Kenneth Fox

Holidaymakers are choosing Ireland as a destination for its scenery and culture, according to new research from Tourism Ireland.

The research was commissioned to understand the current views of consumers regarding international travel and what would compel them to choose the island of Ireland for a holiday.

Tourism Ireland partnered with RED C to conduct a study among thousands of potential holidaymakers in eight key tourism markets – Great Britain, the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Canada and, for the first time, Australia.

They use the findings of its research to continually refine its marketing programmes overseas, in order to grow the value of inbound tourism for economies and communities across the island.

The research found the reasons visitors tend to choose Ireland include scenery (33 per cent), culture (11 per cent), sightseeing (9 per cent), history (7 per cent) and visiting friends and relatives (6 per cent).

Barriers to visitors choosing Ireland include competition/other places to go (16 per cent), weather (13 per cent), cost (6 per cent), access/difficulty getting here (5 per cent).

Among overseas holidaymakers, 7/10 are interested in visiting Ireland some time, with 3/10 actively planning.

In terms of competition, outside of sun destinations, those considering Ireland for a holiday are likely to also consider Scotland, Iceland, Norway and England as options.

Value for money is on holidaymakers’ minds. Half of all overseas holidaymakers think Ireland will represent good value for money, in line with Scotland and ahead of Nordic markets.

However, perception differs by country, with 7/10 holidaymakers in the US seeing Ireland as good value, with more challenging perceptions in Great Britain and Germany.

1/3 of holidaymakers seeking to reduce costs would consider shortening their stay.

When seeking holiday inspiration, recommendations (44 per cent) came from online search (38 per cent), travel sites (29 per cent), film and TV (24 per cent) and social media (24 per cent) are key factors.

Ireland is ‘Instagrammable’, with 2/3 of visitors posting pictures to friends and family, helping to drive future word of mouth.

Speaking about the research, Alice Mansergh, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “The latest sentiment tracker research, undertaken with RED C, offers valuable insights into the motivations of potential visitors and how Ireland can stand out in a competitive global landscape.

“At Tourism Ireland, in the coming year we’ll be focused on strengthening reasons to come to Ireland and working with government and industry partners to ease any barriers.

"New trends to play to include the use of AI by one third of holidaymakers to help plan vacations, alongside channels of inspiration such as TV, film, online search and social media.

"The good news is that once we bring holidaymakers to Ireland, two thirds of them then help spread the word, through recommendations, stories and photography shared with family and friends, with Ireland ranked by visitors as more ‘Instagrammable’ than the average destination."