More than 80% of Irish consumers plan to travel abroad this year, survey finds

More than 80 per cent of consumers in the Republic are planning to travel abroad this year despite the cost-of-living crisis, with an average of €2,320 spent on trips so far in 2023.

It comes as passenger numbers at Ryanair rose to a new record last month, hitting 17.4 million in June, the airline said on Tuesday.

A Censuswide survey of 1,000 consumers, conducted on behalf of PayPal, shows the vast majority (79 per cent) are looking to save money day to day to afford travel this year.

More than half (58 per cent) said they were cooking at home and avoiding takeaways to trim costs, while 50 per cent said they were cutting back on nights out.

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Travelling this year is a priority for 62 per cent of people, with almost two-thirds of consumers saying they hope to make up for time lost during the pandemic.

Eight-in-10 said they were looking to travel abroad this year with Spain the top destination (30 per cent) followed by the UK (20 per cent), and Italy and France (both 16 per cent).

For those planning on getting away in Ireland, the top destinations were Galway (22 per cent), Cork (20 per cent), Donegal (20 per cent) and Dublin (20 per cent).

Overall, the average spent on holidays this year, including travel costs and booking, is €2,320. PayPal said the biggest spenders in Ireland were in Clare at an average of €2,834 spent on holidays, Cork at €2,570 and Donegal with an average of €2,577.

However, elevated costs remain a significant factor for consumers. The price of air fares has risen by an average of 32 per cent since the pandemic, according to Airports Council International figures released last week, and 83 per cent of respondents told PayPal they were willing to adapt their travel plans to trim costs.

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Some 26 per cent of consumers said they had looked for budget accommodation while 22 per cent said they were planning shorter trips to save money.

More than half (53 per cent), meanwhile, said they had shopped around for discounts while 38 per cent of holidaymakers said they planned to travel on days when costs were cheaper, and 26 per cent signed up for offers.

“We’re seeing a surge in travel bookings and it’s encouraging to see that Irish people are being mindful of their budgets when it comes to being able to better afford that long-awaited trip,” said Maeve Dorman, senior vice-president at PayPal.

The survey results chime with Ryanair figures published on Tuesday that showed its passenger traffic hit a record 17.4 million in June, a 9 per cent rise year-on-year.

In the year to date, more than 173.4 million people have flown with Ryanair, an increase of 29 per cent on the same period last year.