North American Visitor Drop-off Causes Tourism Industry Concern
Ireland has experienced a recent decline in North American tourism.
Global instability is being blamed for a drop-off in US visitors to Galway over the crucial summer season.
Some of those who rely on tourism believe the impact of a national decline in US tourists will have significant knock-on impacts.
Galway Pulse spoke with Gerry Gilmore, owner of Rainbow Gifts, a souvenir business in the heart of Galway’s Shop Street. Mr Gilmore explained how important the North American market is to his shop’s sales: “North American tourists are a significant part of my business. They enjoy a lot about Ireland, our history, culture, music, etc. In my opinion, Americans didn’t travel in big numbers because of the instability caused by their president.”
Mr Gilmore went on to explain the concerns among Galway’s tourism operators over the decline in American visitor numbers: “There would be a negative impact on Galway. The Americans are big spenders, visit loads of attractions, hire cars, buy Irish souvenirs, eat and drink plenty and of course give good tips.”
“I don’t think the government does much to help my business,” Mr Gilmore added. When asked what could be done to help the decline in American visitor numbers, he proposed an increase in the Fáilte Ireland promotional budget, and “no tourist taxes allowed by local councils.”
Eugene Keville, a hotelier based in Eyre Square, also shared concerns. “I am worried about the cost of holidaying in Ireland,” he said. “We are a very expensive destination and so, if there was a global recession the more expensive destinations would be hit harder.”
Mr Keville runs The Western Hotel in Galway City centre. He described Americans as “an important part of our business; as a percentage, they are probably in line with the national average, i.e. 20%.”
Be added that the decline in tourism from the US is likely to have a significant impact.
“The industry would struggle,” he said. “Americans make up 20% of the tourist number, but more importantly, 33% of the tourist spend. They are a crucial part of the whole package.”
“The government should be doing more; hospitality is the largest indigenous industry. There should be more grants for renovations of premises and even some sort of tax break or reduction for being in the unsociable late-night economy for both employees and employers.”
Mayor of Galway Helen Ogbu told Galway Pulse: “It is important to distinguish between the national picture and what we are seeing locally. The data available to us in Galway does not currently suggest a similar (to national figures) decline at a local level. We are examining a range of indicators, including city hotel occupancy data for August, which indicates visitor demand year to date remains broadly in line with 2025 levels.”
Ms Ogbu added: “Galway’s tourism performance has remained resilient and there is currently no indication from the local tourism data that visitor numbers from North America have declined during 2026.” She went on to cite Galway City Museum’s visitor surveys, which showed a 6% year-on-year increase in international visitors in the first half of 2026.
However, she added that “The North American market remains critically important. According to Tourism Ireland, almost 1.4 million US visitors travelled to the island of Ireland in 2025, generating approximately 1.8 billion euro in revenue, which highlights why any sustained national decline is being watched very closely by tourism businesses across Galway and the wider west of Ireland.”
When asked where she thinks a drop in North American tourists comes from, Ms Ogbu said: “Global economic uncertainty is making people more cautious about long-haul travel. Geopolitical uncertainty and consumer confidence concerns may also be influencing travel decisions.”
Ms Ogbu added that local government can support the Galway tourism sector by working with Tourism Ireland on an increase in tourism marketing in North America and other international markets, supporting domestic tourism campaigns, seeking greater air connectivity into the West of Ireland by working with Shannon and Ireland West to promote additional routes, and encouraging diversification so that Galway is not overly dependent on any single market.
“Galway City Council has called to national government to consider a bed night levy, this would allow us to invest in the Tourism Sector and support the businesses in the sector.”
Finally, Ms Ogbu told Galway Pulse: “I would say Galway remains one of Ireland’s strongest tourism destinations. It’s culture, festivals and hospitality continue to attract visitors from around the world. However, the industry cannot take that success for granted”
The situation in the city reflects the national picture with new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showing a decline of 3% in visitors to Ireland from North America.
