Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
155. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his assessment of the impact on the tourism sector arising from the war in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30493/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra198. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if events in the Middle East and their impact on the global economy will result in any changes to the outlook for tourism in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30443/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 198 together.
The Government recognises that geopolitical instability, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, can have implications for international travel and tourism. Tourism is a vital component of Ireland’s economy, with overseas visitors contributing approximately €6 billion annually to the island. The sector supports close to 10% of total employment, and critically, around six in every ten tourism jobs depend directly on international visitors.
The current conflict has altered the operating environment for air travel, underlining the importance of continued vigilance and a flexible, responsive approach to the tourism sector as the year progresses. While it remains difficult to predict how the situation will evolve, the potential impacts are becoming clearer. Notwithstanding these challenges, the tourism sector entered the year with positive momentum. There were consecutive months of growth in overseas visitors from August through to February, the most recent period for which Central Statistics Office data is available. Year to date in 2026, we have seen double digit visitor spend growth coming in from North America, Mainland Europe and Great Britain. This performance indicates that the sector was on a strong footing prior to the escalation of geopolitical tensions.
The tourism sector continues to plan with resilience and diversification at its core. The United States remains Ireland’s highest-spending overseas visitor market, while Great Britain continues to provide the highest volume of visitors. Alongside maintaining these critical markets, Tourism Ireland is increasing its focus on Mainland Europe and investing in the development of growth markets such as Canada, while also laying the groundwork for long-term recovery in other emerging markets. Diversifying source markets enhances flexibility and helps protect the sector from external shocks.
In addition, Tourism Ireland is providing direct support to tourism businesses by facilitating tens of thousands of commercial engagements with overseas travel trade partners, generating substantial pipelines of future business for Irish tourism enterprises.
Tourism Ireland continues to market the island intensively overseas, targeting consumers with both the intent and the means to travel. Its current programme includes major global campaigns such as Ireland Goes Beyond, which highlights distinctive and immersive visitor experiences, and Ireland Unrushed, which promotes slow tourism and regional exploration. These campaigns are supported through advertising, digital and social media, international broadcasting, public relations, and close collaboration with air and sea carriers, including cooperative marketing that delivers strong returns on investment and supports strategic routes.
Fáilte Ireland has taken a proactive, collaborative approach to supporting the tourism sector. It is engaging regularly with sectoral representative bodies and industry leaders ensuring that emerging cost pressures and operational challenges are identified early and directly inform policy and programme design.
This engagement has shaped a targeted programme of business supports to help tourism businesses take immediate, practical action to reduce costs, improve efficiency and protect margins in a challenging trading environment.
The conflict in the Middle East presents real and evolving challenges for global tourism, Ireland’s tourism agencies are responding proactively through market diversification, strengthened supports, and targeted, high-impact marketing. The Government will continue to monitor developments closely and to support the sector in maintaining resilience and competitiveness in an uncertain global environment.
