Insights Weekly Roundup

Insights Weekly Roundup 28/07/2025 

Industry: 

• UK Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant says he wants to get more British people going on holiday in places like Cornwall rather than abroad. On a visit to Falmouth and Mylor last week, the minister met with people who work in tourism locally and discussed the state of the industry. Speaking in Mylor on Wednesday, he stated "We need to get more British people coming to resorts like this and experiencing the variety of tourism that we have in the UK. "I [also] want to get more international visitors coming into the UK and we've set a target of getting 50 million by 2030.” BBC News - Minister wants to get more tourists to Cornwall (23 July 2025) 

Consumer: 

• Overnight domestic trip intentions for the next 12 months are in line with those anticipated in 2024 according to VisitBritain’s latest Domestic Sentiment Tracker, however fewer are intending to travel over the summer and more during the autumn months. Commitment is higher for overseas trips compared to UK trips – 81% are very committed to overseas trips in August 2025 compared to 67% for UK trips in the same month. VisitBritain - Domestic Sentiment Tracker July 2025 (July 2025) 

Closer to Home: 

• Irish consumer sentiment improved to its best level in two and a half years in July 2025 (74.5) as an easing in concerns around living costs and the ongoing resilience of the Irish economy prompted an improvement in spending plans. With the July score still lying slightly below the survey long term average, this month’s results suggest Irish consumers are cautious but are slightly more positive about the economy and household finances than in recent years. Credit Union Ireland - ROI Consumer Sentiment Index (25 July 2025) 
• Bank of Ireland’s latest economic forecasts have been revised upwards; for GDP to 8.1% growth (3.5% previously), modified domestic demand to 2.9% (2.8% previously) and employment to 2.6% growth (1.8% previously) in 2025. The revisions reflect surging exports and multinational output, but also Ireland’s rapid pace of job creation, consumer spending and public expenditure. Investment spending is expected to bounce back in 2025, as a partial rebound in construction activity takes place.  Bank of Ireland - Bank of Ireland revises economic outlook for Ireland upwards (18 July 2025) 
• Tourism Ireland’s Situation & Outlook Analysis Reports capture current available data on sectoral issues, the competitive environment, sentiment, and visitor numbers from a range of sources, including industry partners at home and overseas. Tourism Ireland - SOAR July 2025 (July 2025) 

Insights Weekly Roundup 21/07/2025 

Industry: 

• Travel remains a top priority for Europeans, with 77% planning to take at least one trip between June and November 2025. Despite ongoing economic pressures, most intend to maintain or even increase their holiday budgets in the coming months, according to the latest “Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel” Wave 22 report from the European Travel Commission (ETC). ETC - Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel Summer/Autumn 2025 (16 July 2025) 

• Approximately one in five (21%) businesses reported that they are currently using some form of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in late June 2025, up 11 percentage points since the question was introduced in September 2023. Around one in seven (14%) businesses reported they were planning to adopt some form of AI technology within the next three months. ONS - Business insights and impact on the UK economy (3 July 2025) 

Consumer: 

• There will be "no respite for the consumer" in Northern Ireland as grocery business Henderson’s warns food prices will remain stubbornly high this year. It comes as official figures show food and drink prices rose by 4.5% in the 12 months to June. That is the highest rate since February 2024 but is well below the peak seen in early 2023. BBC News - Food prices remain 'stubbornly high' in Northern Ireland as inflation rate rises (16 July 2025) 

Closer to Home: 

• The latest Tourism Industry dashboard from the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) shows total visitors to the Republic of Ireland were down by 10% for May 2025 compared to May 2024, while US visitor numbers were up by 11% compared to May 2024. Arrivals to Dublin airport were reported to have increased by 4.2% in May 2025 compared to the previous year. ITIC May 2025 Tourism Industry Dashboard (July 2025) 

Insights Weekly Roundup 07/07/2025 

Air Access: 

• Seasonal flights to Cornwall Airport Newquay with Aer Lingus Regional have taken off from Belfast City Airport. Running twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 30 August, the service provides a convenient connection between Belfast City Airport and one of the UK’s most popular summer destinations. Insider Media - Aer Lingus Regional flights to Cornwall take off from Belfast (3 July 2025) 

Closer to Home: 

• The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has published Inbound Tourism to the South of Ireland in May 2025. Figures indicate that 560,500 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in May 2025, down 10% compared with May 2024. Visitors stayed a total of 4.1 million nights in the country, a drop of 8% when compared with May 2024, and spent €477 million on their trips (excluding fares), down 21% compared with May 2024. The largest contingent of visitors came from Great Britain (35%), followed by visitors from the United States (25%), and the most frequent reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday (43%).  CSO - Inbound Tourism May 2025 (30 June 2025) 

Consumer: 

• Irish consumer sentiment improved marginally in June as tariff threats eased slightly, oil prices and interest rates fell, and the Irish economy continued to post strong growth in activity and employment. However, the pick-up in sentiment was fractional and doesn’t signal any marked change in the mood of Irish consumers. That is because concerns around trade wars, escalating military conflicts and continuing strains on living costs for many Irish households mean that the economic and financial circumstances of Irish consumers are uncertain at best.  The rise in Irish consumer sentiment in June was mirrored in gains in similar measures for the US and UK. Credit Union Ireland – Irish Consumer Sentiment Index (30 June 2025) 

Tourism Performance: 

• Europe’s tourism sector maintained a solid performance in Q2 2025, highlighting its resilience amid ongoing economic pressures and geopolitical uncertainty. According to the European Travel Commission (ETC)’s latest report, international tourist arrivals rose moderately by 3.3% compared to the same period in 2024. Elevated travel-related prices are likely to weigh on consumers’ willingness to spend, but figures show that overall travel expenditure is expected to be 13% higher in 2025 than in 2024. As more travelers are looking for value for money, lesser-known destinations with competitive prices might benefit, reducing overcrowding pressure in tourist hotspots. ETC – European Tourism 2025 Trends and Prospects (3 July 2025) 

Insights Weekly Roundup 30/06/2025 

Industry: 

• In a bold move towards a sustainable future, Visit Belfast has unveiled a pioneering carbon footprint model aimed at measuring the carbon impact of tourism alongside the economic and social impacts of the sector in the city. This initiative was launched at the Belfast Sustainable Leaders – Pathways to Net Zero event, held at ICC Belfast, marking a significant step in the city’s commitment to sustainable tourism growth. Business Eye - Belfast Sets The Standard: A New Era For Sustainable Tourism (26 June 2025) 

Economy: 

• According to the latest figures from the ONS, around one in seven (14%) trading businesses reported that their turnover had increased in May 2025 compared with the previous calendar month, which is broadly stable with April but down 2 percentage points from May 2024; in contrast, 24% reported that their turnover had decreased, which is also broadly stable from April but up 2 percentage points from a year ago. ONS - Business insights and impact on the UK economy (19 June 2025) 

Consumer: 

• Long-haul travel sentiment towards Europe softens for summer 2025, with affordability concerns and geopolitical uncertainty shaping short-term decisions, according to the latest Long-Haul Travel Barometer from the European Travel Commission (May-August 2025). The latest survey finds intent to visit Europe between May-August fell from 41% to 39%, with the sharpest declines in the U.S. (-7%), Brazil, Canada, and Japan. In contrast, 72% of Chinese respondents plan to visit Europe, up 10% year-on-year. European Travel Commission - Long Haul Travel Barometer 2/2025 (June 2025) 

• Overnight domestic trip intentions are broadly in line with those anticipated in 2024, according to the latest Domestic Sentiment Tracker from VisitBritain. 76% are planning a trip in the next 12 months vs 77% who planned to do so at this point last year. Commitment is higher for overseas trips compared to UK trips – 80% are very committed to overseas trips in July 2025 compared to 66% for UK trips in the same month. VisitBritain - Domestic Sentiment Tracker June 2025 (19 June 2025) 

Insights Weekly Roundup 23/06/2025

Consumer: 

• GfK’s long-running UK Consumer Confidence Index increased by two points to -18 in June.  This is driven by improvements in how consumers see the general economy, with scores up three points (compared to last year) and up by five points (looking at the next 12 months). UK Consumer confidence up two points in June to -18 - NIQ (20 June 2025) 

• The latest insights from the ONS UK Opinions and Lifestyle Survey found that cost of living was the most mentioned issue impacting consumers (86%). 62% of adults said that their cost of living has increased in the last month – this proportion has decreased from 72% in April 2025. Of adults who reported an increase in their cost of living in the past month, 92% said that their food shop costs went up. ONS - Public opinions and social trends - May 2025 (20 June 2025) 

 Economy: 

• GDP for the OECD countries rose by an average of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, down from a 0.5% rise in the previous quarter. This represents a departure from the higher & relatively stable growth rates recorded area over the past two years. The UK's GDP grew by 0.7% in the first quarter of 2025 (January to March) compared to the previous quarter. OECD - Quarterly real GDP growth - OECD countries (18 June 2025) 

 Air Access: 

• EasyJet has announced a new winter route from Belfast City Airport to Edinburgh, beginning in late October. Flights to Edinburgh will take off on October 26 and operate five times a week, providing business and leisure customers with direct and convenient domestic connections. ITTN - EasyJet Announces New Belfast City Airport to Edinburgh Route (18 June 2025)