Some 510,100 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in March 2026, Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) said in its latest inbound tourism report on Thursday, April 30.
This was an increase of 16% when compared with March 2025, and a drop of 2% from March 2024, the CSO said.
In March this year, visitors from Great Britain accounted for the largest share (40%), compared with Continental Europe (35%), North America (21%), and the Rest of the World (3%).
The CSO reported that expenditure by foreign visitors in Ireland in March 2026 was estimated at €372 million, up 14% compared with March 2025 (€326 million), and down 11% compared with March 2024 (€417 million).
Just over 510,000 foreign visitors came to Ireland in March 2026 and spent €372 millionhttps://t.co/ruNVhM6m46#CSOIreland #Ireland #Tourism #Travel #Holidays #LoveIreland #OverseasTravel #AirAndSeaTravel #Aviation pic.twitter.com/Qf3XPdSpJ6
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) April 30, 2026
1.3 million overseas visitors to Ireland in Q1 2026
Tourism Ireland said on Thursday that the CSO's latest inbound tourism report confirms that Ireland welcomed over 1.3 million overseas visitors for the period January to March 2026, up 24% on the same three-month period in 2025.
The visitors are reported to have spent €909 million in the first quarter of this year, also up 24% on Q1 2025, which Tourism Ireland described as "positive."
In the first three months of 2026, visitor spend in Ireland was up 26% from North America, 24% from Mainland Europe, 22% from Great Britain, and +22% from the rest of the world.
However, Tourism Ireland cautioned that despite the positive start, "there are headwinds in the tourism sector, taking into account the ongoing conflict in the Middle East."
Tourism Ireland said "geopolitical instability can take its toll, and the conflict in the Middle East has implications for tourism," including airspace disruption, oil and gas shortages, and a negative impact on competitiveness and consumer confidence.
Commenting on Thursday, Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “It is positive to see the growth in overseas tourism for the first quarter of 2026, with increases in visitors and visitor spend from Great Britain, North America, Mainland Europe, and further afield.
"That said, we know that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has implications for overseas tourism as we look ahead. Disruption to air space over the Middle East, oil and gas supply and pricing, as well as consumer confidence, all influence the tourism outlook.
"There are 46,000 tourism businesses in Ireland, >50,000 island wide, and 6 out of 10 euros in the tourism economy are brought in by overseas visitors specifically. Tourism Ireland is working closely with air and sea carriers, tour operators, online travel platforms, our travel trade partners in overseas markets and industry partners at home, to generate demand, win visitors, and keep our connections to the world strong.”