Spending by overseas tourists in Dublin showed signs of revival in the second quarter, rising by a quarter on the previous three months, and 184.4 per cent higher on a year-on-year basis, according to a new report.
The increase was driven largely by visitors from Britain, France and Germany.
Retail spending in Dublin overall rose 5.1 per cent in the three months to June as Covid-19 restrictions eased.
The report, compiled by Mastercard for Dublin’s four local authorities, shows spending on entertainment jumped 21.3 per cent versus the previous three months while expenditure on household goods rose 20.6 per cent.
Ecommerce sales, which surged during the pandemic, fell back to 2.6 per cent as consumers spent more in bricks-and-mortar stores.
While spending was higher in the capital, it lagged what was occurring nationally where a swifter recovery was recorded.
"Overall, the retail sales environment in Dublin as well as Ireland has improved with growth rates exceeding 17 per cent compared to Q2 2020. The extreme positive growth rates for overall retail sales were expected as we compare with the Covid-19 related restrictions of 2020," said Michael McNamara, global head of SpendingPulse at Mastercard.
“From a sector perspective, we are seeing spending rebalance with a return to the discretionary sector that was largely shut down over the past year,” he added.
