- 29% of adults say they are more likely to choose a holiday in Ireland instead of travelling abroad compared to last summer, (up 25% over 2025) and with the great weather, this increased the numbers of staycations further by 32% totalling 880,000 families.
- On the Island of Ireland, 75% holidayed in Ireland, 15% visited Northern Ireland and 10% visited both. Kerry was the most popular location in Ireland followed by Galway, with Derry the most popular destination in Northern Ireland.
- 32% say they love holidays in Ireland irrespective of the weather, and 31% did so as flight prices are expensive this summer.
Budgeting
- Budgeting is an important trend this summer with 67% keeping within or under planned spend while only 33% went over budget this summer. Accommodation accounted for 50% of spending.
- More than 1 in 3 (39%) say they are spending more on holidays this summer compared to last summer due to higher costs, with 20% spending less.
- Spend management was very pronounced this summer with nearly half (46%) of respondents say they have brought their own drinks or snacks to their accommodation and 43% packed a picnic instead of eating out.
- 29% of adults have cooked meals in self-catering accommodation rather than dining out in order to save money on holidays and 26% chose free activities over paid attractions to stay within planned budgets.
- For those with Children 69% bought children’s treats such as Ice Creams and Sweets in a supermarket rather than on-site or at tourist prices
- 80% of adults say the cost of eating out in Ireland has changed their holiday habits this year with 28% of these saying it has significantly changed their habits to ‘stay in’ as well as prepare more food and drinks in advance of planned daily activities.
- Nearly half (48%) say the biggest unexpected spend on staycations are the cost of drinks, unplanned treats, and eating out.
- 1 in 4 (25%) say their biggest unexpected spend was on souvenirs, gifts, and toys for their children or grandchildren to bring home with them.
Commenting on the research, Oisin Byrne iReach Insights Director says “With the great weather this summer and high costs of overseas travel, we saw a surge in Staycations this year. Holiday Spending Budgets are the new norm with nearly half of holiday money-saving tips focused on cutting the cost of food and drink.
We asked Staycation takers their top tips for keeping within planned spend budgets, and we see a very clear financial-planning theme: book early, set a budget, save throughout the year and put money aside regularly.”
About iReach Insights
iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus which delivered over 1,000 responses and ran between the 6th of July and 13th of August and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.
Questions asked of adults nationwide:
Q1. How much have you spent in total so far this summer on holidays/breaks in Ireland or Northern Ireland?
Q2. Compared to last summer, are you spending more, less, or about the same your holidays this year?
Q3. Why did you choose to holiday in Ireland or Northern Ireland this year rather than travel abroad?
Q4. Which of the following have you done this summer to save money on holidays?
Q5. Has the cost of eating out in Ireland changed your holiday habits this year?
Q6. Do you think this will be a ‘staycation summer’ that becomes the new normal for your family, even after this year?
Q7. What’s the one thing you always end up paying for that wasn’t planned (e.g. ice cream, arcade games, souvenirs)?
iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.
iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne
T: 01-214 3740 or email: oisin.byrne@ireachhq.com or phone 086 8506364