Dublin – top city for dining out tourists

Visitors to Dublin in 2017 spent a greater proportion of their travel budget on dining out than they did in any other city studied according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index Indulgences report.

Mastercard’s Indulgences  report reviews where and what overseas travellers spend the most on and offers insight into two of life’s greatest pleasures – dining and shopping.

Dublin’s renowned culinary culture has become the top experience for splashing out on by overseas visitors who spent $800 million – over a third of their total expenditure (36%) — in 2017 which bodes well for the city’s gourmet scene.

According to the Indulgences report Dubai was the top city for the most amount spent by international visitors on dining out – $5.94 billion. Other global cities such as Singapore and London were also in the top 10 for overall food and beverage spend but it’s worth noting that travellers are spending a lower percentage of their travel budgets on food in those cities (12.9% and 17.6%, respectively).

“The quality of food and fantastic experiences available when dining out in Dublin is now globally renowned” commented Sonya Geelon, Country Manager for Mastercard in Ireland, “and this report just shows that overseas travellers are coming from far and wide to enjoy and prioritise the culinary delights that our city has to offer.

“Experiences are at the heart of what travellers value, which is why we offer programs like Mastercard Priceless Ireland to allow travellers to dive into the country’s unique culture.”

In addition, data analysed by Mastercard SpendingPulse or the most recent Dublin Economic Monitor (Q3 2018) shows that tourism is booming in the city with visitor expenditure growing 13.5% year-on-year. This is the highest rate of growth since Q1 2016 and is being driven by travellers from the US, France and China. Mastercard SpendingPulse provides insights into overall retail spending trends across all payment types including cash.

It also shows a 10.6% year-on-year growth to Q3 2018 in overall tourism spending in Ireland.

The Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index and GDCI: Play Index, a breakout report focused on the top leisure destinations, were released earlier last year.