Northern Ireland sees record year for tourism from the Republic

New figures show Northern Ireland welcomed record visitor numbers from the Republic last year.

46% more travelled across the border for a holiday in 2023 than in 2022.

Spending was up last year by £86.6m.

In 2023, 1.3 million overnight trips were taken by visitors from the Republic to Northern Ireland.

That accounts for almost 3 million overnight stays and spend of more than £267m.

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.

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 spend 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”.