The Waterford Greenway. CSO data shows more Irish tourists took trips at home in the first quarter. Photograph: Bryan O’BrienFresh data from the Central Statistics Office shows that domestic tourism continued to recover strongly during the first quarter from the damage caused by the pandemic, although the recovery of international travel lagged as Ireland dealt with the Omicron wave during the first three months of 2022.
Their expenditure on these trips rose at a far faster rate, however, illustrating the price increases facing domestic tourists in recent times. The number of business travellers in Q1 2022 dropped 43 per cent per cent compared to 2020, as working from home arrangements and a preference for virtual meetings during Omicron impacted upon the figures.
The CSO has also released Q1 data for overseas travel by Irish residents. These show that activity levels were still well down on 2020, as Omicron fears caused another wobble in the industry. The number of outbound trips were down 31 per cent compared to 2020, while expenditure fell 46 per cent.