Table of Contents
Issues in the Market
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- Key themes of the report
- Definition
- Abbreviations
Insights and Opportunities
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- All-inclusive allow holidaymakers to relax
- Don’t underestimate the appeal of shopping bargains
Market in Brief
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- The recession sees Irish tourism energies focus on the home market
- Visits overseas drop, but desire doesn’t
- Competition from abroad
Fast Forward Trends
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- Trend 1: Escapism
- What’s it about?
- What we’ve seen
- What next?
- Trend 2: Celebs and Social Engineering
- What’s it about?
- What we’ve seen
- What next?
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Willingness to spend on a overseas holiday diminishes
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- Figure 1: Agreement with selected spending-related statements, NI and RoI, May 2009
- Guilt sees more consumers think twice before travelling
- Domestic tourism could benefit from new frugalism
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- Figure 2: Agreement with the statement “I am more likely to holiday at home to save money”, NI and RoI, May 2009
- Worries about the recession could drive the need for a holiday
- Irish cold snap has potential to drive Irish consumers overseas
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- Figure 3: Irish weather data – annual average figures, NI and RoI, 2005-09
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- Figure 4: How Irish weather in 2009 affected consumer holiday choice
- Online booking reigns supreme
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- Figure 5: Method used to book last holiday, NI and RoI, 2009
- Last minute bookings
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- Figure 6: How many months last holiday was booked in advance, NI and RoI, 2009
- Booking directly most popular method
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- Figure 7: Methods of booking holiday flights and accommodation for last holiday taken, NI and RoI, 2009
- Event tourism key to stimulating domestic tourism, as well as attracting overseas visitors
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- Figure 8: Tourist events in Irish cities, 2010
- Figure 9: Response to the question ‘What factors motivate you to take a holiday/short break in Ireland?’, NI and RoI, May 2009
- Back to basics – trends in domestic and overseas tourism
- Irish consumers care about the environment, but they don’t want to pay for it
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- Figure 10: Percentage of consumers that feel strongly about selected green/ethical issues, NI & RoI, August 2009
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Cross-border shopping and tourism aids NI’s recovery
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- Figure 11: Economic outlook, NI and RoI, 2008-10
- Low confidence sees consumers less willing to have a holiday
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- Figure 12: Consumer Sentiment/Confidence Index for 12 months ended October 2009
- Pound remains weak
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- Figure 13: Pound to euro exchange rate, 2003-10*
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- Figure 14: Cross-border visits from RoI consumers to NI, 2007-09
- Greece bailout could have far reaching impact on tourism
- Unemployment rise signals drop in holidays
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- Figure 15: Unemployment, by number unemployed, RoI, January-September 2006-09
- Figure 16: Unemployment, by number unemployed, NI, September 2006-November 2009
- A unique use of the unemployed
- An ageing population
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- Figure 17: Population projections, by age group, RoI and NI, 2006-26
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- Figure 18: Agreement with the statement ‘Need to escape’ as reason for taking holiday or short break, by age, NI and RoI, May 2009
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Market Overview
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- Key points
- Overseas guests spend less during recession
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- Figure 19: All visits to Ireland and expenditure, NI and RoI, 2003-09
- NI and RoI domestic tourism increases
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- Figure 20: Domestic visits to Ireland and expenditure, NI and RoI, 2003-09
- More RoI consumers stay at home, but spend less
- RoI consumers demand creature comforts
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- Figure 21: Accommodation used on domestic holiday, RoI, 2007 and 2009
- Domestic tourism is not a purely Irish phenomenon
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- Figure 22: Overseas visits to Ireland and expenditure, NI and RoI, 2003-09
- Figure 23: Overseas visits to Ireland, by area of origin, RoI, 2007-09
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- Figure 24: Overseas visits to Ireland, by area of origin, NI, 2007-09
- UK is a key market to win back
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- Figure 25: UK Domestic holidays, by expenditure, 2004-09
- Price comparison sites – highlighting the value in times of recession
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- Figure 26: Average room prices per night of European destinations, 2007-09
- Irish visits overseas diminish in 2009
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- Figure 27: Visits and expenditure by RoI consumers when taking a holiday overseas, NI and RoI, 2003-09
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Facing stiff competition from international destinations
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- Figure 28: International tourist arrivals, by country of destination, 2008
- More intense competition for fewer visitors
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- Figure 29: Percentage growth in international tourism, 2000-10
- Spain
- 1.5 million Irish holidaymakers visit Spain
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- Figure 30: International tourist arrivals to Spain, by country of residence, 2007 and 2009
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- Figure 31: Holiday in Spain taken for last holiday, by region visited, NI and RoI, 2009
- Lure of the beach
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- Figure 32: Irish expenditure and nights stayed in Spain, 2008
- Ireland attracting Spanish tourism a long shot?
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- Figure 33: Spanish visitors to Ireland, NI and RoI, 2007 and 2008
- Italy
- Irish visitors to Italy account for 1% of total
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- Figure 34: International tourist arrivals, by residence to Italy, 2007 and 2008
- Culture draws in Irish holidaymakers
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- Figure 35: Resort/hotel used, by Irish tourists in Italy, 2008*
- 2009 sees drop in Italian visitors to Ireland, as domestic tourism trend grips Italy
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- Figure 36: Number of Italian visitors to NI and RoI, 2007 and 2008
- Dublin and West of Ireland key destinations
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- Figure 37: Areas visited, by Italian visitors to Ireland, 2009*
- France
- How many Irish people visit France
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- Figure 38: Tourist arrivals to France, by country of origin, 2006 and 2008
- Oh la la! culture
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- Figure 39: Agreement with statement about food eaten on holidays in Ireland “Good quality food and drink is an important part of the whole experience”, RoI and NI, 2009
- French domestic tourism
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- Figure 40: Impact of recession on holiday plans of French consumers, 2009
- Bringing the French to Ireland
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- Figure 41: French visitors to NI and RoI, 2007 and 2008*
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- New programs to help plan holidays
- Cuddle class
- Leg room, leg room, leg room
Companies and Products
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- Tourist boards
- Tourism Ireland
- Fáilte Ireland
- NITB (Northern Ireland Tourist Board)
- Airlines
- Aer Arann
- Ryanair
- Aer Lingus
- Travel agents
- Budget travel
- Direct Holidays
- Falcon Holidays
Types and Frequency of Overseas and Domestic Holidays
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- Key points
- Recession does little to stop Irish consumers taking a holiday
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- Figure 42: Holiday taken in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, 2003-09
- Busting stress domestically
- Mature consumers most likely to have taken a holiday in 2009
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- Figure 43: Holiday taken in the last 12 months, by age, NI and RoI, 2009
- Targeting 15-24-year-old holidaymakers
- Working around a school schedule
- Music events draw in young consumers
- Targeting 25-34-year-old holidaymakers
- Leaving it to the professionals
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- Figure 44: Method used to book their last holiday, according to consumers aged 25-34, NI and RoI, 2009
- Targeting 35-44-year-old holidaymakers
- A long holiday
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- Figure 45: Number of nights spent away on last holiday, NI and RoI, 2009
- Packaged
- Targeting 45-54-year-old holidaymakers
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- Figure 46: Agreement with statements relating to luxury/status, by age group, NI and RoI, 2009
- Important to travel agents
- Targeting 55-64-year-old holidaymakers
- September vacationers
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- Figure 47: Month when last holiday began, NI and RoI, 2009
- Targeting 65+ year-old holidaymakers
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- Figure 48: Responses to statement “Companies should be more sympathetic to older people’s needs”, consumers aged 65+, NI and RoI, September 2009
- Beach resorts the most popular type of holiday
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- Figure 49: Sort of holiday taken for last holiday, NI and RoI, 2009
- Irish consumers less likely to take specialised holidays, although there is room for growth
- Life’s a beach
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- Figure 50: Consumers who took a beach resort holiday as their last holiday, by marital status and number of people in household, NI and RoI, 2009
- Travelling companions
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- Figure 51: Who consumers took their last holiday with, NI, 2009*
- City breaks grow in popularity
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- Figure 52: Consumers who took a city break for their last holiday, NI and RoI, 2003-09
Consumer Attitudes towards Holidays
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- Key points
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- Figure 53: Agreement with statements relating to travel and holidays, NI and RoI, 2009
- The lure of the overseas holiday holds sway over Irish consumers
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- Figure 54: Agreement with the statement ‘I like the idea of travelling abroad’ vs. ‘I like to take holidays in my own country rather than abroad, by demographics, NI and RoI, 2009
- Families put kids needs first
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- Figure 55: Agreement with the statement ‘I like the idea of travelling abroad’, by number of people in household, NI and RoI, 2009
- Over-55 and rural consumers holiday at home more
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- Figure 56: Agreement with statements ‘I will buy more locally produced goods to protect Irish jobs’, by social class, RoI, May 2009
- Variety vs. familiarity
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- Figure 57: Agreement with statements relating to travel, by all adults, NI and RoI, 2009
- Why go to the same place?
- Not just a holiday, an adventure
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- Figure 58: Agreement with statement “I have a keen sense of adventure”, by age, NI and RoI, 2009
- Newspapers and magazine influence holiday decisions
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- Figure 59: Agreement with statement “Newspaper and magazine articles on holiday and travel influence my choice of holiday”, by gender, NI and RoI, 2009
Appendix
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- Broader Market Environment tables
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- Figure 60: Number of private households, by composition, RoI, 2002-06
- Figure 61: NI and RoI population, by gender, 2006-20
- Figure 62: Forecast population, by age, NI, 2000-20
- Figure 63: Forecast population, by age, RoI, 2000-20
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- Figure 64: Pound to Euro exchange rate used (annual average), 2004-13
- Short breaks and holidays consumer tables
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- Figure 65: Holiday taken in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, 2009
- Figure 66: Number of short breaks taken in the UK or Ireland, by RoI consumers, 2009
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- Figure 67: Number of short breaks taken in the UK or Ireland, by NI consumers, 2009
- Figure 68: Number of short breaks taken abroad, by RoI consumers, 2009
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- Figure 69: Number of short breaks taken abroad by NI consumers, 2009
- Figure 70: Number of holidays (more than 3 days) taken abroad by RoI consumers, 2009
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- Figure 71: Number of holidays (more than 3 days) taken abroad by NI consumers, 2009
- Attitudes to holidays tables
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- Figure 72: Agreement with statements relating to travel and holidays, by demographics, NI, 2009
- Figure 73: Agreement with statements relating to travel and holidays, by demographics, NI, 2009
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- Figure 74: Agreement with statements relating to travel and holidays, by demographics, NI, 2009
- Figure 75: Agreement with statements relating to travel and holidays, by demographics, RoI, 2009
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- Figure 76: Agreement with statements relating to travel and holidays, by demographics, RoI, 2009
- Figure 77: Agreement with statements relating to travel and holidays, by demographics, RoI, 2009
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