New figures show that visitor numbers to the country's leading visitor attractions in 2023 are still lagging behind pre-pandemic times and the Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions has called for more Government support in the upcoming budget.
Ireland's AVEA said that, based on its most recent industry survey, about 18.1 million visitors went to an Irish visitor experience or attraction last year, significantly more than in 2022 but still well below the 22.9 million visitors reported in 2019.
The 2023 figure is 6% below the 2019 total, but AVEA members noted that it was a strong performance given that the country's inbound tourist numbers in 2023 were still about 35% below that recorded in 2019, showing that the domestic visitor market is hugely valuable for AVEA members.
AVEA member visitor attractions employ over 6,400 people and generated an estimated €362m in revenues last year.
Staff costs account for the largest share of operating costs at 49%, a proportion that is forecast to increase significantly as the ripple effect of successive changes to wage legislation takes hold.
There was an increase of just over 5% in average ticket prices to enter attractions reaching a median of €11.32, net of VAT, while the average retail spend per head at the attractions fell by 8% to €4.70.
The majority of survey respondents also experienced an increase in insurance premiums, the average being about 12%, the AVEA said.
Catherine Flanagan, the CEO of the AVEA, said there is no doubt that while the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, the industry is still in a period of transition.
"2023 was considered the first 'full' year of tourism where aviation connectivity was restored to pre-pandemic levels; however, the 'staycation' market segment is still one that is of vital importance to Ireland's visitor attractions," Ms Flanagan said.
But she noted that current data for the 2024 tourism season highlights concerning visitor levels in the current season. CSO data for July revealed that international bed nights fell 350,000, or 6%, when compared with the previous year, while travel data also shows a jump in travel from Ireland to European hotspots, with visitor numbers from Ireland to Spain alone up by 18% year on year.
"We are all aware that there has been a huge disruption to the tourism accommodation sector in recent years, with more uncertainty on the horizon as the legislation around short-term letting is framed. Visitor attractions this year have felt the harsh impact of many factors, including the lack of accommodation availability at a range of prices, coupled with a summer of poor weather, and shorter stays by overseas visitors," she added.
Ending the survey each year, respondents are asked to look ahead to next year; and at that time some 97% of respondents anticipated increased visitor numbers in 2024 with 99% expecting increased revenue.
"The optimism members showed early in the year did not, for the most part, translate into business reality. Some businesses have performed strongly; but for the majority of the country, a soft summer will make for an uneasy autumn-winter with cost concerns being our biggest worry," Ms Flanagan said.
"We will be lobbying Government for more support in the upcoming budget, to recognise the accelerated costs of business, for the VAT rate to be reduced to 9%, for the economic value of tourism to be recognised, and for access blockages to be addressed," she added.
