The overseas holiday market in Ireland has undergone profound change in recent years, primarily related to the seemingly inexorable rise of independent travel. The principle catalyst in this trend is the ever-increasing role of the internet, which is now the dominant channel used by consumers for both holiday information and bookings.

However, these changes occurred alongside phenomenal growth of over 50% overall in Ireland during the period 2003-07. The boom in business during this period appears largely to have shielded the traditional travel sector from what could have been a severe blow from the independent, self-book option, enabling it to record year-on-year growth and appear more resilient than it truly is.

The current economic climate facing NI and RoI consumers is likely to further expose the fault lines that have appeared now that consumers have a real alternative to package holidays and the traditional travel sector in general.

This report provides an overview of the market for self-booked and traditionally booked overseas travel, examining the core market factors, strengths and weaknesses, consumer dynamics and likely future developments.

Key themes in the report:

• What impact will the economic downturn, continued fuel price uncertainty and exchange rate changes have on Irish overseas travel?
• How are low-cost carriers driving air travel capacity growth?
• How are travel agents/tour operators addressing the increased competition coming from the independent holiday sector? Are they well placed to withstand these pressures into the future?
• Changes in how consumers are choosing and booking holidays, and how these trends are likely to play out in the years to come.
• What are Irish consumers’ preferences in terms of holiday type and how are these preferences changing?
• What are Irish consumers’ attitudes towards holidays generally, in terms of destinations, activities and package vs independent?

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