Markets
Ireland
Market Characterization for Portugal

In 2024, Ireland ranked as the eighth largest tourist market for Portugal in terms of overnight stays (share: 4.1%) and tenth in terms of guests (2.9%). In 2024, the Irish market registered around 557,600 guests (var.24/23: +6.2%), who generated 2,295,300 overnight stays (var.24/23: +5.0%). It stands out as the 6th market in tourism revenues with €1,189.0 million (share: 4.3%), up 2.5% compared to 2023.

In terms of overnight stays, the Algarve was the main destination for Irish tourists visiting Portugal (75.2%), followed by Greater Lisbon (13.1%) and the North (5.4%). In terms of type, hotel stays predominated (39.9%), followed by apartment hotels (24.0%) and local accommodation (16.9%).

Portugal ranks 5th in total outbound air traffic in the market. During this period, the airlines that carried Irish tourists to Portugal were: Ryanair (share: 60.9%), Aer Lingus (35.0%), TAP (3.9%), and others (0.2%). Most operations originate in the cities of Dublin (share: 78.8%), followed by Cork (13.0%), Shannon (4.4%), Knock (2.2%), and Kerry Country (1.6%).

It should be noted that Irish tourists stay an average of 8.6 nights in Portugal (ForwardKeys); most purchase airline tickets through direct channels (share: 98.6%); and travel in groups of 3-5 people (40.6%).

According to SIBS data, Greater Lisbon accounts for 36.6% of the €856.7 million in card purchases originating in Ireland in 2024. The North ranks third (share: 13.9%), after the Algarve (32.2%).

2024 Position | Year-over-Year Change
Guests 0.6M 10º | 6.2%
Overnight stays 2.3M 8º | 5.0%
Tourism revenue 1188.6M€ 6º | 8.6%
Disembarked passengers 0.8M 10º | 2.5%

Market Profile
Change 24/23
5.4 M Population
1.4 %
133895.3 USD GDP per Capita
2.3 %
2.4 % Inflation Rate
-2.8 pp
0 Savings Rate
0.0 %

Ireland is a country with 5.38 million inhabitants in 2024 and was the 28th largest economy in the world.

According to Globaldata, in 2024, Ireland was the 34th largest source market for tourists worldwide, generating 10.3 million trips, accounting for 0.7% of total global tourist demand. Around 88.7% of tourist flows are concentrated on the European continent. The top five regions sending Irish tourists to Portugal were: Dublin (78.8% share), Cork (13.0%), Shannon (4.4%), Knock (2.2%), and Kerry Country (1.6%).

In turn, 86.7% of trips abroad made by Irish tourists in 2024 were by air, 9.4% reported traveling by land (Eurotunnel), and 3.9% by sea.

Team
Info.Ireland@turismodeportugal.pt
0035316316309
Perspectives

The latest projections from the European Commission indicate that the Irish economy will contract by 5.5% in 2023 as a result of the current unfavorable international environment: conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, rising energy costs and other raw materials and intermediate goods, but above all the decline in pharmaceutical exports and contract manufacturing activity by multinational companies.

A decline of 0.2% is expected for 2024, which will be reversed in 2025 with growth of 2.2%. According to GlobalData, between 2025 and 2028, international departures by Irish tourists abroad are expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.2%, reaching 12.1 million departures in 2028. Spending by tourists from this country abroad is expected to increase at a CAGR of 10.1% for the same period.

According to data from OAG Scheludes Analyser, based on the 2024 summer season compared to 2023 (April 1 to September 30), the following number of airline seats are expected to be available for the main European destinations: Spain 2.0 million seats (-8.1%), Italy: 700,000 (-7.8%), Portugal: 550,000 (-2.5%), Greece 260,000 (-8.5%), Turkey: 250,000 (-15.8%) and Croatia: 220,000 (-19.2%).

Analyzing Forwardkeys data, flight forecasts in terms of passengers originating in the Irish market to Portugal reported for the period from March to August 2025 point to a decrease of 3.3% compared to the same period last year.

TOP 10 destinations | 2024: United Kingdom share (25.1%), Spain (23.7%), France (6.4%), Italy (5.5%), USA (5.3%), Portugal (5.2%), Germany (5.0%), Netherlands (2.3%), Poland (2.2%) and Greece (1.9%).

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