Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) published its report on Inbound Tourism for the month of March 2025 on Tuesday, April 29.
Some 441,200 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in March 2025, down 15% compared with March 2024, and up 4% compared with March 2023, the CSO said on Tuesday.
The visitors spent €326 million on their trips (excluding fares), down 22% compared with March 2024, and up 1% compared with March 2023.
The largest contingent of visitors came from Great Britain (40%), and the second largest came from the United States (19%).
The most frequent reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday (36%).
Visitors stayed a total of 2.9 million nights in Ireland in March 2025, a drop of 8% when compared with March 2024, and down 9% when compared with March 2023.
The average length of stay for foreign resident overnight visitors was 6.5 nights, up from an average of 6.0 nights in March 2024, and down from 7.4 nights in March 2023.
“The results show that 441,200 foreign visitors departed Ireland on overseas routes in March 2025, a decrease of 15% compared with March 2024," Gregg Patrick, Statistician in the CSO's Tourism and Travel Division, said on Tuesday.
"This decrease continues the downward year-on-year trend in foreign visitor numbers first observed in September 2024.
"However, the decrease in March 2025 was less than the decrease in February 2025.
"In the first quarter of 2025, which covers the months of January, February, and March, foreign visitors were down 23% compared with Q1 2024, and down 7% compared with the same period in 2023.
"In March 2025, visitors from Great Britain were down 12% compared with March 2024, visitors from Continental Europe were down 17%, visitors from North America were down 18%, and visitors from the Rest of the World were down 24%.
"However, compared with March 2023, visitors from these areas were up 4%, 8%, 3%, and down 26% respectively."
Patrick continued: "The visitors' expenditure in Ireland (excluding fares) was €326 million.
"Visitors from Great Britian accounted for €81 million (25%), Continental Europe accounted for €122 million (37%), North America for €102 million (31%), and visitors from the Rest of the World for €21 million (6%).
"Taken together, this represented a decrease of 22% compared with March 2024, and an increase of 1% compared to March 2023.
"The visitors most frequent reason for their journey was for holiday or leisure (36%). Their second most frequent reason was to visit friends or relatives (35%). More of the visitors stayed in a hotel (43%) than in any other accommodation type, and the typical visit lasted 6.5 nights.”