Download the Your Dublin, Your Voice survey
Created for Dublin City Council by Data&Design
Please scroll down to begin.
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In May 2023, Dublin City Council heard from
1,066 Dubliners on their
opinions on tourism in Dublin.
Let's see what they had to say.
The "Your Dublin Your Voice" survey asked questions on a wide variety of topics, including their own vision for tourism, the challenges tourism poses and their recommendations for how Dublin should be experienced.
The participants
Where locals recommend
We started by asking locals what areas of Dublin they thought visitors should be made more aware of.
First, let's look at the different postcodes that were mentioned.
The north city was the
most recommended area, followed by Phoenix Park and Dublin 8. In general, people tended to recommend the northside, coastal areas and parks.
Next, let's look at the specific locations that were mentioned.
Zooming in on the city
Locals recommended
locations the
length and breadth of Dublin.
Areas along the coastline, mountains and parks were
highly recommended for visitors by locals.
Zooming in on the city, we see recommendations for neighbourhoods and communities like Stoneybatter, Smithfield and the Liberties.
Reasons to visit Dublin
Almost 3 quarters of Dubliners picked the city's pub scene as a reason to visit, with Dublin's history and culture also popular.
Proud of Dublin
When asked if they would feel proud of Dublin when showing a tourist around it, the majority of Dubliners said yes.
Where locals and visitors meet
Dubliners play a key role in the visitor experience. 61% of locals interact with visitors to Dublin. 87% of these interactions are positive.
The age divide
Younger people are more likely to frequently interact with tourists - but less likely to be proud of Dublin.
Now, let's look at why locals think Dublin is unique, how proud they are of their city, and what happens when visitors and locals interact.
Perceptions of tourism
92% of participants felt that international tourism was good for Dublin, with that figure climbing to 96% for domestic tourism.
Benefits and challenges
While locals are positive about the impact of tourism on the economy, there are some key challenges.
Problems caused by tourism
Over half of Dubliners do not experience problems caused by tourism.
When problems are experienced
Among those experiencing problems caused by tourism in Dublin, most reported experiencing these problems in July and August.
Types of problems experienced
The majority of locals mentioned crowding, cost of living and house prices as issues that are caused by tourism.
Let's look at how tourism impacts the lives of locals.
Hosting tourists
42% of Dubliners have hosted international tourists
visiting Dublin in the last year, rising to 45% for domestic tourists.
Where to stay?
7 in 10 of Dubliners would recommend a friend stay with them, compared to 5 in 10 for hotels or 3 in 10 for B&Bs.
Hotel competitiveness
Next, let's look at how Dubliners play a key role in hosting tourists and shaping the overall experience of visitors to the city.
A May 2023 report from the UK Post Office* put Dublin's hotel price as the 3rd most
expensive out of 35 european cities.
For a two-night stay in June, Dublin was over €100 more expensive than London
and over €150 more than Stockholm.
*Based on an average of the 10 cheapest available three-star city centre accommodation for two adults sharing a double/twin ensuite room between 2-4 June 2023.
Finally, let's hear from Dubliners about their vision for the future of tourism in Dublin.
A local's vision for tourism in Dublin
We have clustered the responses into 9 key themes.
Click on a theme to see what Dubliners have to say!
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Dubliners are often passionate about their city, have plenty of recommendations and play a significant role in hosting tourists - recommending tourists stay with them over booking accommodation.
When asked about their vision for tourism, the most common categories that emerged were around infrastructure, retaining Dublin's culture and the impact on residents.
Ultimately, while a large majority of Dubliners see tourism as a positive, it has its challenges. These are linked to the social issues facing people in Ireland today. This is particularly pronounced for younger people, who feel the least pride in their city but interact with tourists the most.