Insights Weekly Roundup

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)

Insights Weekly Roundup 16/06/2025

Industry: 

• A new survey of hospitality operators across Northern Ireland lays bare the impact of recent increases to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICS) and above inflation wage increase on hospitality businesses, with 27% of operators stating that they are now operating at a loss and 20% stating that they have broken even. Just 6% of respondents stated that they have made a greater profit at this stage in 2025 than in 2024. Hospitality Ulster - Over a quarter of NI hospitality businesses now operating at a loss (10 June 2025) 

• Provisional estimates from the UK International Passenger Survey for Q3 and Q4 2024 find that there were 39.2 million inbound visits to Great Britain. Inbound visits were just behind pre-COVID levels in 2024 (–4%), with moderate growth vs 2023 (+3%). Spend remained below 2019 and 2023 levels in real terms. European visits were just short of pre-COVID levels but saw growth vs 2023 with record spend, North America led recovery seeing both record visits and spend in 2024, whilst Rest of World saw YoY declines although there is much variation by market. VisitBritain - International Passenger Survey by the ONS, Provisional Q3 and Q4 2024 (13 June 2025) 

 Economy: 

• Growth in Northern Ireland's services sector slowed sharply in the first three months of this year, official data suggests. Services is the largest part of the NI economy, covering a broad range of activity including retail, hospitality, and finance. Growth in the first quarter of the year was just 0.1%, compared to 1% in the final quarter of 2024. BBC News - NI Economy: Services sector slowed sharply at start of the year (12 June 2025) 

Closer to Home: 

• The latest figures published by the CSO indicate that there was a 30% increase in the number of overnight trips taken by ROI residents to NI in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. This was driven by strong growth in holiday visitors and those visiting friends and relatives compared to Q1 2024, possibly linked to the ongoing perception amongst ROI residents that NI offers better value for money than ROI and GB, with shopping and public transport considered good value for money. Central Statistics Office - Household Travel Survey Quarter 1 2025 (13 June 2025)

Insights Weekly Roundup 09/06/2025

 Consumer: 

• Irish consumer confidence improved marginally in May as tariff threats eased slightly but continuing downside risks to the economy and some signs of renewed pressure on household finances mean sentiment remains soft and continues to signal a nervous Irish consumer. Credit Union Ireland – ROI Consumer Confidence Index May 2025 (23 May 2025) 

• The Consumer Council’s latest Household Expenditure Tracker found that Northern Ireland’s lowest earning households (Quartile 1) have seen an 18% drop in discretionary income since early 2021, leaving them with less than £53 a week on average after paying for essentials. Households in Quartile 2 are under greater pressure, with their discretionary income still down by 29%. Meanwhile, higher income households in Quartiles 3 and 4 have nearly recovered their spending power. Consumer Council - Northern Ireland Household Expenditure Tracker Q4 2024 (29 May 2025) 

 Industry: 

• According to the May 2025 World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, over 300 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months of 2025, about 14 million more than in the same months of 2024. That represents a 5% rise on last year and is 3% more than in pre-pandemic year 2019. The robust performance came despite the sector facing a range of geopolitical and trade tensions, as well as high inflation in travel and tourism services. UN Tourism – World Tourism Barometer (27 May 2025) 

 Air Access: 

• Belfast City Airport has officially launched its summer 2025 schedule with the restart of easyJet flights to Palma de Mallorca. The service to the Balearic Island destination operates twice a week, every Monday and Thursday throughout the summer. Belfast City Airport - Summer 2025: easyJet flights to Palma de Mallorca take off from Belfast City Airport (5 June 2025)