Irish travel to US surged in 2024

New Ireland-US air routes to Denver, Cleveland, Las Vegas and other cities - plus the entry of Jet Blue into the transatlantic market and the revival of routes paused during COVID - all contributed to increased Irish visitation to the US in 2024.

In terms of per-capita travel to the US, Ireland ranked #3 globally behind only Canada and Mexico. Also in 2024, Ireland-US travel grew by 14% vs. 2023.

With the addition of Jet Blue to Aer Lingus (which serves 18 US cities), United, Delta and American, there are now 5 major carriers making more than 200 direct Ireland-US flights weekly.

And Ireland is the only country in Europe/UK with US Homeland Security pre-clearance services which enable travelers to clear US customs before entering the US.

For more information on the US market, in Ireland contact US International Trade Administration Commercial Advisor Julianne O'Leary who is located in Dublin: julianne.oleary@trade.gov .

India was #2 US overseas tourism market in 2024

Brand USA reports that India is now the fastest-growing US tourism market, with 2.19M visits in 2024, up 24.3% from 2023 and displacing Germany as #2 overseas market - second only to the UK - and up 49% from pre-pandemic 2019.

Nonstop air capacity from India to the US was also #1 in growth between 2019 and 2024.

Traditionally, visa wait times have been the #1 obstacle to India-US travel, but in 2024 the US opened 250,000 visa appointments in India, and this month a new consulate opened in Bengaluru that will soon have visa processing available. The US issued more than 1 million non-immigrant visas in 2024.

Meet Boston CEO Martha Sheridan has reported that her city received 106,000 visitors from India in 2024, making the country Boston's #3 overseas market after the UK and China.

JetBlue to offer direct flights from Boston to Madrid and Edinburgh in summer 2025

JetBlue has announced the addition of 2 new seasonal direct flights to Europe from Boston Logan for summer 2025: Madrid and Edinburgh, to begin 22 May and run through 24 October. Both flights will leave Boston at around 1030 PM, with return flights landing afternoons.

In addition to year-round service from Boston to London Heathrow and Paris, in 2025 JetBlue will continue to offer other summer seasonal European destinations: Amsterdam, Dublin and London Gatwick.

Round-trip bookings for Madrid and Edinburgh are now available at an introductory rate of $499 for a limited time.

United to begin nonstop weekly IAH-PWM flights in June 2025

United Airlines has announced the launch upcoming on 28 June 2025 of weekly nonstop Saturday flights from George H. W. Bush Intercontinental Airport to the Portland Jetport.

This new service will increase to 5 the number of PWM's nonstop connections to United hubs. The Saturday flights are also expected to draw summer tourists to Maine from the Houston area.

Overseas tourism to Ireland softened in November 2024

Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures for November 2024 show that Ireland welcomed 408,000 visitors - down 9% from November 2023 - who spent 316 million euro, down 5%. However, not all news was bad, as November visitors spent 15% more per night in Ireland vs. November 2023.

Causes of this softening likely include:

• 32M/year passenger cap at Dublin Airport, which supports 70% of air access to the Island of Ireland and 85% of that to the Republic, resulting in seat capacity down to 96% of winter 2023
• Inflation and rising cost of doing business in Ireland, leading to higher prices for visitors, particularly those from the UK and EU
• Petering out of COVID-induced pent-up demand for travel

Along with advocating for a relaxation of the Dublin passenger cap, Tourism Ireland is working with air and sea carriers to grow demand for routes directly into the regions of Ireland - bypassing Dublin Airport - while also promoting year-round tourism to13 world markets.

Will Tourism Ireland be able to grow tourist visitation and spend in summer 2025? Watch this space.