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No. of domestic holiday trips up 6.5% on 2014 further boosting local economies

The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring T.D., welcomed figures published today (Thursday) by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) which show that the number of domestic holidays trips in Ireland grew by 6.5% in 2015 compared to 2014. Minister Ring was speaking following publication of the CSO’s Household Travel Survey.

“Ireland's continued strong economic performance and related positive consumer sentiment has provided a welcome boost to our tourism industry. Figures for 2015 overseas visits have demonstrated a record performance for inbound tourism and, as evidenced from the data released today, we now have official confirmation of continued strong domestic tourism performance as well.

"In the context of overall domestic trips, holiday trips performed particularly strongly, with the number of holiday trips taken at home by Irish residents in 2015 up by 6.5% on the previous year. Furthermore, domestic holiday expenditure is up by 10.2%. Measures introduced by the Government, such as the reduced VAT rate for the tourism sector, have certainly helped to deliver these strong results.

"I am particularly pleased to note that trips in the fourth quarter of 2015, a traditionally quiet time for domestic holidays, grew by an impressive 12% compared to the same period in 2014. Looking ahead, our commitment to delivering on measures included in the Tourism Action Plan will help drive continued strong tourism performance. There is strong interest in holidaying in Ireland and tourism operators on the ground are upbeat about their prospects as we head into the main tourist season. With the quality of our tourism offering stronger than ever and an exciting calendar of festivals and events ahead of us, there has never been a better time to enjoy a holiday here at home.”