Tourism Ireland has launched details of its marketing strategy and plans to promote the island of Ireland overseas in 2026, at an event attended by Tourism Minister Peter Burke and over 600 tourism industry leaders from around the country.
Tourism Ireland envisages overseas tourism revenue to the island can grow to over €10 billion annually by 2031, with the right strategic supports.
Last year – 2025 – was not without challenges for the tourism sector – including macro-economic uncertainty and the Dublin Airport passenger cap at the beginning of the year – and visitor numbers and spend were soft compared to 2024, but stable compared to 2023. Momentum picked up as the year progressed, with consecutive months of visitor growth from August onwards.
- In 2026, Tourism Ireland will undertake an extensive and targeted programme of promotional activity across 15 key overseas markets. Some highlights of the organisation’s priorities for the year ahead include:
- Tourism Ireland will win visitors from diverse markets: deepening and defending tourism from the United States and Great Britain, rolling out a new strategy to win more tourism from Mainland Europe, investing in growth markets such as Canada, as well as teeing up long-term partnerships in India and China.
- Co-operative marketing campaigns with air and sea carriers will drive visitor demand for strategic air and sea routes, delivering 15:1 return on investment.
- New broadcast TV and streaming shows co-produced by Tourism Ireland will air to millions of viewers around the world, including travel series starring Ronan Keating, Martin and Roman Kemp, Dermot O’Leary and Fred Sirieix.
- New focus areas will include culinary tourism, activity tourism, year-round reasons to travel, as well as inspiration to explore from gateway cities to regions.
- Tourism Ireland will promote the island of Ireland through advertising, publicity, digital, social and Gen AI, reaching potential visitors in the channels where they research holidays today.
Tourism Ireland’s marketing plans for 2026 will focus on outcomes in line with government policies North and South, including Minister Peter Burke’s recently launched ‘New Era for Irish Tourism’.
At today’s launch, Tourism Ireland unveiled its new global advertising campaign ‘Ireland Goes Beyond’. The new campaign celebrates how the island of Ireland goes beyond people’s expectations of a holiday experience, by creating memorable connections with the people and the place.
Speaking at the launch, Tourism Minister Peter Burke said: “The transfer of the tourism portfolio into the heart of the Department of Enterprise last year underscores the importance of the sector as a key economic driver and employer, and one of our most vital indigenous industries. Our new National Tourism Policy – A New Era for Irish Tourism – was launched in December and sets out a clear vision for the future of Ireland’s tourism sector, identifying strategic priorities that will guide the continued growth and development of tourism over the coming years. I am confident that the new policy will grow Ireland’s position as a leading tourism destination and I welcome Tourism Ireland’s Marketing Plans 2026 supporting this ambition for the year ahead.
“The Government has taken concrete steps to support the tourism sector, including an allocation of €400 million for tourism under my Department’s Sectoral Capital Plan 2026-2030, the reduction in the VAT rate on food and catering services to 9% from July 2026 and a new strategic air access fund.
“A total of €71.43 million is being provided in Budget 2026 to the Overseas Tourism Marketing Fund. Aligned with the new Action Plan on Market Diversification, this level of funding will allow Tourism Ireland to seize fresh opportunities for growth, expand markets and continue to attract value-adding visitors across the island throughout 2026 and beyond.”
Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Today, Minister Peter Burke and over 600 tourism industry leaders attended the launch of Tourism Ireland’s 2026 Marketing Plans. Tourism is a key indigenous industry across this island, supporting jobs across regions and introducing around 8 million overseas visitors per year to all our island offers. Overseas visitors spent over €6 billion in 2025, and we’ll be targeting growth to over €10 billion by 2031, supporting the Minister’s strategy, ‘A new era for Irish Tourism’.
“While the world is uncertain right now, consumers overseas are looking for travel that allows them to explore and disconnect. We’ll be championing the island of Ireland’s iconic landscapes, culture and history, from festivals and events to culinary tourism, using strategic marketing and partnerships to win visitors. Healthy growth is growth from a range of source markets; the US and Great Britain are fundamentally important for tourism to Ireland and, in addition to our activities there, we’re rolling out a new strategy to win more visitors from Mainland Europe, we’re investing in growth markets like Canada and setting up impactful partnerships for the long term in China and India.
“Tourism is an industry with inspiring small businesses and local providers at its heart – we’re excited to provide +33% more promotional opportunities overseas for tourism SMEs in 2026. Our partnerships with air and sea carriers will inspire visitor demand for key routes to this island, maximising on increased connectivity. We’ll be reaching overseas visitors directly with influential advertising, broadcast TV and streaming productions, publicity, digital, social and AI activity, to win year-round tourism, with benefits across regions. In a positive start to the year, our new campaign ‘Ireland Goes Beyond’ is already generating bookings overseas.”
