'Record breaking' numbers of visitors from the Republic of Ireland spending overnight trips in Northern Ireland says Tourism NI

Research by Tourism NI found that the vast majority of Republic of Ireland visitors to Northern Ireland had their expectations matched or exceeded.

Southern visitors said the range of things to see and do, the quality of food and drink, and the warmth of the welcome were rated most highly, the tourism body said,

Tourism NI Chief Executive John McGrillen said: “These results are exceptional, especially given the tough economic climate and the increased levels of competition from other destinations. We are clearly reaping the rewards of additional investment in new visitor experiences in recent years, and increased marketing and promotion in the Republic of Ireland.

“Our research shows that every part of NI is benefiting from this investment and the very strong growth in visitor numbers and spending which has resulted from it. While there continue to be challenges for the industry, these results demonstrate tourism’s growth potential as we look to the future”.

His organisation said that figures released by the Republic of Ireland’s Central Statistics Office showed 1.3 million overnight trips were taken by visitors from the Republic to Northern Ireland in 2023, up 46% compared to 2022.

These trips translated into almost three million overnight stays and spending of more than £267m, an increase of 48% on the numbers recorded in 2022.

The CSO data showed that all types of tourism grew rapidly in 2023 – holiday trips, visiting friends and relatives, and business tourism.

Tourism NI welcomed the increase in business from the Republic of Ireland, noting that it provided a very important source of income for the tourism industry at a time when the recovery in visitors from other countries was much slower.

In 2022 four locations in Northern Ireland were named in the 10 most welcoming places to visit in the UK by a popular online travel agency.

Booking.com revealed that Enniskillen topped the list of friendliest places for the third year in a row. The coastal towns of Ballycastle (third) Bushmills (sixth) and Newcastle (joint ninth) also featured strongly.