Back to top

Download the Your Dublin, Your Voice survey

Created for Dublin City Council by Data&Design

Please scroll down to begin.

a

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

HowthMalahideDun laoighreDalkeySkerriesDublin bay

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

MalahideLibertiesSmithfieldStoneybatterDun laoighreGlasnevinKilmainhamBotanic gardens

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.

Parks 15% Architecture 18% Nightlife 20% Geography 34% Music scene 41% People 45% Literary heritage 48% Culture 57% History 69% Pub scene 74%

Proud of Dublin

When asked if they would feel proud of Dublin when showing a tourist around it, the majority of Dubliners said yes.

Yes 55% No 34% Don't know 11%

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.

At least weekly 19% Hardly ever / never 39% Less than weekly 42%

The age divide

Younger people are more likely to frequently interact with tourists - but less likely to be proud of Dublin.

Interact with tourists weeklyFeel proud of city 18-34 26% 35-49 18% 50-65 16% 65+ 13% 45% 53% 58% 72%

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.

Positive 92% Negative 8%

Benefits and challenges

While locals are positive about the impact of tourism on the economy, there are some key challenges.

50% positive Cleanliness 32% Environment 39% Quality of life 41% Infrastructure 47% Leisure activities 62% Cultural activities 78% Atmosphere 78% Historical heritage 85% Local economy 92%

Problems caused by tourism

Over half of Dubliners do not experience problems caused by tourism.

None 54% Sometimes 36% All year 10%

When problems are experienced

Among those experiencing problems caused by tourism in Dublin, most reported experiencing these problems in July and August.

Jan/Feb 16% Mar/Apr 54% May/Jun 74% Jul/Aug 89% Sep/Oct 34% Nov/Dec 29%

Types of problems experienced

The majority of locals mentioned crowding, cost of living and house prices as issues that are caused by tourism.

Parking 20% Safety 26% Traffic 34% Noise 36% Depopulation 45% Cleanliness 47% Housing prices 55% Cost of living 56% Crowding 69%

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.

Yes 42% No 58%

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.

Hostel 8% Short-term let 18% B&B 31% Hotel 54% Stay with me 71%

Hotel competitiveness

€0 €200 €400 €600 Vienna €272 Cardiff €290 Salzburg €294 Bruges €328 Stockholm €349 Nice €367 Rome €372 Copenhagen €380 Barcelona €387 Geneva €398 Edinburgh €405 London €411 Berlin €423 Paris €435 Madrid €438 Belfast €446 Florence €458 Dublin €510 Venice €546 Amsterdam €598

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

Place Experience Authenticity People Sustainability Safety Mobility Affordability Accommodation

We have clustered the responses into 9 key themes.

Click on a theme to see what Dubliners have to say!

Thank you for exploring this piece! Scroll down to finish.

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.