Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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63. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on figures published by the Central Statistics Office indicating that the number of tourists coming to Ireland is down seven and a half percent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62276/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I note that the latest CSO figures show some 604,500 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in September 2025 which is an increase of 5% when compared with the same month in 2024 and an increase of 4% compared with September 2023. This is the second consecutive month of 2025 to show growth in visitor numbers compared to 2024 and this is very encouraging.

When comparing visitor numbers in September 2025 with September 2024, those from Great Britain were up 17% and North America by 7%. Visitors from North America are particularly important for Irish tourism as they tend to stay longer and spend more.

I want to see the growth continue in the months ahead and in this regard, the tourism agencies have significant marketing activity underway. Following the recent excitement in Bethpage, New York, Ireland accepted host destination status for the 100th Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in September 2027. We will be working hard to leverage the tourism potential of Ryder Cup 2027 and will now be gearing up to maximise the opportunity this global sporting occasion presents over the coming two years.

I am keen to see this momentum continue, and our tourism agencies are actively promoting Ireland through major autumn campaigns as a compelling destination to visit, including the “Home of Halloween” campaign. Tourism Ireland launched phase two of this campaign in late October across key overseas markets, positioning Ireland as the authentic home of Halloween.

In addition, Tourism Ireland partnered with online travel platforms to promote autumn trips and drive incremental bookings; to date, these partnerships have delivered over €50 million of incremental trip bookings to the island of Ireland.

Following the suspension of the passenger cap at Dublin airport earlier this year, winter seat capacity to Dublin is set to increase by +17% year-on-year, with over one million seats added to the schedule. Capacity on ferries sailing to Ireland in winter 2025/26 is estimated at 2.3 million passengers, which is higher than in the past two winters.

Earlier this year, I launched the Business Events 2030 strategy, the purpose of which is to promote the development of our world-class business events sector and realise the full economic benefits of business events for Ireland. It is one of the highest-yielding tourism segments, it contributes more than €1 billion to the economy annually, €290 million to the Exchequer, and supports 22,000 jobs. The strategy sets out a clear roadmap to drive an average annual revenue growth rate of 8% to 2030, benefitting the tourism ecosystem, our SMEs and local economies across the country.

In Budget 2026, I introduced targeted supports for tourism and hospitality, including VAT reductions for small and family-run businesses and enhanced entrepreneur relief to drive innovation and job creation. We’ve increased funding for Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, and Local Enterprise Offices to help communities build sustainable local economies.

An additional €70 million has been allocated to develop Irish tourism SMEs and attractions, and to link overseas investment with new airline routes. In line with our Action Plan for Market Diversification, Tourism Ireland is working to reduce reliance on specific markets and explore new opportunities, building on the success that brought inbound tourism to €6.9 billion in 2024.

The Action Plan on Market Diversification forms a core component of the Government's response to current market challenges and volatility. In line with the Action Plan, Tourism Ireland will play a central role in a refreshed strategy to grow market share in current key markets and in new and emerging markets.

My Department will shortly publish a new National Tourism Policy Statement. This will set a clear strategic direction for the tourism sector for the next five years, focusing on growth, sustainability, digital transformation, and inclusive development.

I’m confident this will ensure Ireland’s tourism sector remains resilient and competitive.