The Irish tourism industry’s heavy reliance on the US market is showing signs of strain, with a recent Fáilte Ireland report revealing that a majority of businesses (60 per cent) cite the Trump presidency as their main concern.
The reasons fewer US tourists might visit the country are plentiful: uncertainty in the global economy, less disposable income to spend on travel, and anxieties about how they’re perceived abroad. While US tourists continue to see Ireland as an attractive destination, businesses fear they won’t be coming in droves like they used to.
Kate Montgomery, an American living in the UK, is spending a few days in Dublin. Speaking to The Irish Times as she walked around Trinity College Dublin, she described the city as “a little more reasonable” price-wise than Manchester, where she lives.
She was quick to voice her embarrassment at being an American abroad. “I keep telling my friend to stop saying we’re American, just pretend we’re Canadian,” she said.
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She chalks this coyness down to politics. Ms Montgomery lived in Japan during the first Trump presidency, and said at this time US politics was nearly always the first thing she was asked about by strangers, which wasn’t the case when Joe Biden was in office.
Irish tourism businesses surveyed by Fáilte Ireland said clients told them of “concerns over how other countries will receive them”.
Sydney Frankel, from the suburbs of New York City, is in Dublin for a friend’s wedding. “I wouldn’t say Dublin is expensive,” she said, “but I wouldn’t say it’s super cheap either”.
She said she paid a “higher than normal” price for her flight here of “around $800 or $900”. High flight prices were also mentioned by other US tourists, who maintained that while visiting the country isn’t a financial burden, getting here is.
Ms Frankel said Ireland isn’t a particularly trendy destination in her social circle, but has a solid reputation for a welcoming people in a beautiful landscape. A reason why Americans might be slower to make the trip, she says, is that “in the US, a lot of people are thinking we’re probably going to be going through a recession soon, so maybe travel suffers from that”.
This is reflected in the data, which says although Irish businesses are seeing solid 2025 bookings , a lack of forward booking into 2026 is developing as US pockets feel the pinch of Trump’s tariffs. Also, the average length of stay is declining across the board, an indicator often linked to the level of disposable income a visitor can bring with them for their travels.
Amy and Matthew Nehring, from rural Pennsylvania, are staying in Howth, Co Dublin, their first stop in a “big European trip”. Remarking how friendly and welcoming everyone they’ve met in Ireland had been, they both said they haven’t felt judged for being from the US.
They agreed on high flight costs and also mentioned the expense of their Airbnb, although they acknowledged that it being near the sea in Howth probably contributed towards the price tag.
Basic necessities, particularly road tolls and “gas station food”, are considerably cheaper in Ireland than stateside, they said.
The Fáilte Ireland report stressed that the market is not in danger – at least, not yet. Many of the business concerns identified are yet to materialise in an industry that is generally steady.
Many service providers – pubs, restaurants, tourist attractions – pointed to a lack of affordable tourist accommodation as a possible reason for a decrease in the volume of customers and a slowdown in revenue so far in 2025.
“During challenging times, positive reviews, recommendations and repeat visits are more important than ever,” the report said. It seems that if many prospective visitors from the US can no longer afford the transatlantic fare, those who do manage it tend to enjoy their time here, and give a strong endorsement for Irish tourism.
