Insights Weekly Roundup
The Insights Weekly Roundup summarises key reports and news articles found through horizon scanning. This process collates recently published external publications on relevant topics including the economy, consumer and industry sentiment, air/sea access and regeneration.

Insight Weekly Roundup 08/12/2025
Economy:
- The most recent OECD Economic Outlook finds that Global GDP growth is projected to ease from 3.2% in 2025 to 2.9% in 2026 and then strengthen slightly to 3.1% in 2027. The report suggests the global economy has been resilient this year, despite concerns about a sharper slowdown in the wake of higher trade barriers and significant policy uncertainity. Yet, global trade growth moderated in the second quarter of this year, and higher tariffs are expected to gradually feed through to higher prices, reducing growth in household consumption and business investment. OECD Economic Outlook - Volume 2025 Issue 2 (2 December 2025)
- This report is the first in a planned annual series examining the structure and performance of the economies of Ireland and Northern Ireland. By establishing this foundation, the report seeks to develop further a joint understanding of the economies of Ireland and Northern Ireland, support policy development, inform future research, and encourage greater collaboration on shared challenges and opportunities across the island. The Economic & Social Research Institute - Assessing economic trends in Ireland and Northern Ireland (8 December 2025)
Closer to home:
- Irish consumer sentiment improved slightly in November as reduced nervousness about the econoomic outlook and a seasonal uptick in spending plans more than outwighed continuing concerns around household fnances. Sentiment for November 2025 recovered just over hald the decline witnessed in October, with Irish consumer sentiment showing an improvement in cotrast to declines in consumer confidence in the US and UK and a largely unchanged reading across the Euro area in November. Credit Union Ireland - ROI Consumer Confidence Index (28 November 2025)
- The Irish Government's Department for Enterprise, Tourism and the Employment has released this statement, with the aim of setting out 'a clear and ambitious vision for the future of Ireland's tourism sector, identifying strategic priorities that will guide its continued growth and development over the coming years' The policy statement 'articulares the Government's vision for a strong, resilient, and growing tourism sector that benefits to communities across the country'. Government of Ireland - A New Era for Irish Tourism National Tourism Policy Statement (December 2025)
Previous Weekly Roundups
Insights Weekly Roundup - 1st December 2025
Insight Weekly Roundup 01/12/2025
Global tourism:
- Over 1.1 billion tourists travelled internationally in the first nine months of 2025, a rise of +5% year-on-year and +3% ahead of the pre-pandemic 2019, according to the latest UN World Tourism Barometer. The third quarter saw a +4% increase over 2024 due to a strong northern hemisphere summer season. While results through September are in line with UN Tourism's forecast, the agency said that factors such as high travel prcies and a challenging geopolitical environment remain downside risks. UN Tourism - World Tourism Barometer (27 November 2025)
Closer to home:
- Tourism Ireland's Situation & Outlook Analysis Reports (SOAR) 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 November 2025 (25 November 2025)
- New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that 568,900 foreign visitors completed a trip to Ireland in October, an increase of 4% compared to the same month in 2024, but the number of overseas visitors in the 10 months to October fell by 6.4% to just over 5.4 million. In October 2025, visitors spent €529 million on their trips (excluding fares), down 1% when compared with October 2024. Year-to-date expenditure (excluding fares) by foreign visitors was estimated at €4.7 billion, 12.7% lower than the estimated spend of €5.4 billion from January to October 2024. CSO - Inbound Tourism October 2025 (27 November 2025)
Economy:
- The November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook forecasts UK GDP growth averaging 1.5% a year, slightly slower compared to the forecast in March due to weaker productivity, while inflation remains higher for longer at 3.5% in 2025 and returning to the 2% target in 2027. Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) - Economic and Fiscal Outlook November 2025 (26 November 2025)
- On Wednesday 26th November, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the UK Budget 2025, setting out the government's plans for spending, taxation, and economic priorities for the coming year. A summary of the key points can be found in the link below. BBC - Budget 2025 summary: Key points at a glance (26 November 2025)
Insight Weekly Roundup - 24th November 2025
Insight Weekly Roundup 24/11/2025
Industry:
- The UK sector enters 2026 with a sense of resilience and renewed confidence, according to the latest outlook report from PwC UK. Despite a backdrop of economic headwinds and rising operational costs, the market continues to demonstrate stability - supported by resilient international demand, event-led travel, and a steady recovery in domestic leisure. PwC UK - Hotels Forecast 2025-2026 (November 2025)
Consumer:
- NIQ/GfK's unning Consumer Confidence Index fell by two points to -19 in November. All measures declined from October’s results. NIQ - Consumer confidence drops two points in November to -19 (21 November 2025)
- VisitBritain’s latest domestic sentiment tracker finds that UK overnight domestic trip intentions for the next 12 months are in line with those that were anticipated in 2024, while intentions for Autumn and Winter trips are ahead of last year. VisitBritain - Domestic Sentiment Tracker November 2025 (20 November 2025)
Closer to home:
- Irish tourism's dependence on the US market is becoming increasingly pronounced. While the tourism industry has had a challenging year, business from the key US market has remained healthy, up 4% year-to-date. This bulletin from the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) looks at the importance of US visitation to Ireland, how transatlantic business must be defended and deepened, but crucially how Irish tourism must diversify its portfolio of markets. ITIC - Irish tourism: Trump, tariffs and transatlantic travel (12 November 2025)
Insights Weekly Roundup - 17th November 2025
Insight Weekly Roundup 17/11/2025
Industry:
- The European Travel Commission's (ETC) Q3 2025 report highlights robust summer demand and a 9.9% expected rise in traveler spending across Europe this year. While heatwaves and higher prices shaped the season, travellers continued to explore European destinations, supported by new digital tools and flexible travel habits. Long-haul arrivals from Asia surged, the U.S. market remained strong, and Europe's tourism outlook for 2026 points to stable performance. ETC - European Tourism: Trends and Prospects Q3 2025 (13 November 2025)
Northern Ireland - International Reputation in Focus:
- The Executive Office has published a research series that explores how perceptions of Northern Ireland influencce international attiftufes toward investing in business, studying for educational qualifications, visiting Northern Ireland, as well as overall familiarity with Northern Ireland and favourably towards Northern Ireland. The reports aim to inform policy development by highlighting the most influential perceptions and how they vary across countries and demographic groups. The key findings are that investment appeal is most driven by a willingness to "Work & Live" in Northern Ireland, study appeal is most driven by perceptions of a high "Quality of Life", and a tourism appeal is most driven by positive perceptions of Northern Ireland's "Natural Beauty". NI Executive Office - Northern Ireland International Reputation in Focus (13 November 2025)
Economy:
- Monthly gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have fallen by 0.1%, following no growth in August 2025 (revised down from a growth of 0.1% in our previous publication) and an unrevised fall of 0.1% in July 2025. In the three months to September 2025, compared with the three months to June 2025, GDP grew by 0.1%, following growth of 0.2% in the three months to Auust 2025 (revised fown from growth of 0.1% in our previous publication). GDP monthly estimate, UK - Office for National Statistics (13 November 2025)
Closer to home:
- Central Statistics Office (CSO) data indicates that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Republic of Ireland rose by 2.9% between October 2024 and October 2025, up from an annual increase of 2.7% in the 12 months to September 2025. This is the highest annual rate of inflation observed in the CPI since March 2024 when the rate was also +2.9%. CSO - Consumer Price Index October 2025 (13 November 2025)