Concerns that tourism industry has not seen pandemic recovery
Waterford City
The Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA) has reported that international visitor numbers have fallen by 11% to the end of July and visitor spending has fallen by 14.75%.
AVEA explains that there are multiple reasons for this, such as global economic uncertainty, rising operational costs and changing holiday patterns.
In 2019, Ireland received almost 23 million visitors and by 2025, that number is only 19.2 million.
As well as falling numbers, operating expenses for tourist attractions are skyrocketing.
Staffing costs account for 52% of operating expenses, insurance represents 3% and recruiting guides and front-of-house staff remain a significant challenge, particularly for smaller and regional attractions.
Ticket sales make up 46% of revenue, with the median admission price at €11 and median retail spend at €4 per visitor, highlighting the sector’s high overheads and tight margins.
According to Catherine Flanagan, CEO of AVEVA, visitor attractions employ around 6,000 people and support regional economies.
AVEVA says it advocates for increased budgets for Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, investment in overseas marketing and new market development, removal of infrastructure barriers such as the Dublin Airport cap, and support for digital innovation, sustainable tourism, accessibility initiatives, and regional SMEs.
They also call on the government to extend the 9% VAT rate to ticket admissions.
Minister Peter Burke, with responsibility for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, is due to publish a new tourism policy in the coming months.
AVEVA will host its eighth annual conference on October 13 and 14, 2025, in Waterford, welcoming more than 200 leaders from the visitor attraction sector across Ireland.
The conference, themed Ireland’s Tourism Mosaic of Amazing Places, will explore the resilience, diversity, and challenges facing the sector, alongside opportunities to drive innovation, regional growth, and sustainable tourism.
