Fresh tourism and travel data released on 16 June 2026 by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) show outbound mobility continuing to surge. Irish residents made 3.1 million overnight trips abroad between January and March— a 5 % year-on-year increase and the strongest first-quarter performance on record. Total nights spent overseas rose to 13.9 million. Holiday travel dominated (59 % of nights) but business trips also ticked up to 7 % of the total, underscoring a rebound in corporate mobility. The average length of stay abroad fell slightly to 4.5 nights, suggesting more frequent but shorter journeys, a pattern consistent with hybrid work and “blended” business-leisure itineraries. Domestic travel remains robust as well: Irish residents logged 6 million domestic overnight stays in Q1, up 9 % on 2025. Visits to friends and relatives accounted for 39 % of domestic nights, with holidays close behind at 38 %. For global mobility teams the figures signal tightening air-seat availability in peak periods and growing competition for hotel inventory—particularly on European city pairs popular for client meetings and internal shuttles. Airlines will welcome the sustained demand when planning winter schedules, while travel managers may need to revisit volume-based deals or encourage employees to book further in advance. The data also feed into infrastructure debates: a strong Q1 lends further weight to calls for rapid removal of the Dublin Airport passenger cap and acceleration of Cork and Shannon expansion projects.
Source: Westmeath Independent
