Too Expensive to Visit Ireland? Episode 857

Is Irish Tourism in Trouble? Paul Treyvaud on Prices, Hotels and the Real Visitor Numbers

Ireland’s tourism industry has still not clearly returned to the levels we were seeing before the pandemic, and despite signs of a recovery during 2026, questions remain about how healthy the sector really is.

In this episode, Niall is joined by restaurateur and podcaster Paul Treyvaud to ask a simple question: why are tourist numbers still not where many people expected them to be, and do the official statistics actually tell the full story?

In 2025, overseas visitor numbers fell by around 3%, while tourist spending dropped by approximately 9%. More recent figures suggest a significant improvement during 2026, but Paul is asked whether that recovery is being felt on the ground by restaurants, hotels, pubs and other businesses that depend heavily on tourism.

Niall also questions whether some of the traditional indicators we use to measure tourism can give a misleading picture.

Hotel occupancy may appear strong, but a number of hotels and accommodation centres are being used for IPAS and emergency accommodation. That means fewer bedrooms are available to ordinary tourists, potentially increasing occupancy rates in the remaining hotels while also contributing to higher prices.

Dublin Airport is also busier than ever, but packed terminals do not necessarily mean Ireland is experiencing a tourism boom. Many passengers are Irish people travelling abroad, business travellers or passengers connecting through the airport rather than spending their holidays in Ireland.

So what is actually happening?

Has Ireland simply become too expensive for tourists? Are hotel rooms, restaurant prices, car hire, attractions and the overall cost of a holiday making Ireland increasingly difficult to justify compared with destinations such as Spain, Portugal, Italy or Greece?

Is the shortage of available hotel accommodation damaging the industry? Have high prices reached the point where even tourists who can afford to visit Ireland no longer believe they are receiving value for money?

And what about the experience on the ground? Are restaurants, pubs and tourism businesses seeing fewer overseas visitors than the official numbers would suggest, or could the industry actually be performing better than the headlines imply?

Paul Treyvaud gives Niall his perspective as somebody working directly in hospitality and tourism, and explains whether he believes the statistics match what businesses are seeing every day.

Ultimately, Niall asks whether Ireland still offers tourists good value for money, and if we don’t, how long can we expect visitors to keep paying premium prices when there are cheaper alternatives just a short flight away?