Membership Survey 2017

Visitor Attractions & Experiences are a key component of Irish Tourism providing visitors with compelling reasons to choose Ireland as a holiday destination. Our sector presents the stories of our ancient past, our culture and heritage, both built and natural, that bring unique authentic experiences to life enriching the visitors discovery of Ireland.


AVEA conduct an annual survey of its members to gather core information on the nature, scale and scope of the business operations and on key issues affecting performance. The findings provide AVEA members with valuable data to enable members to benchmark their performance against industry standards and identify trends, challenges and new opportunities.In 2018 we conducted our first survey of members based on 2017 performances. The core findings are highlighted here and the full survey is available on AVEA.ie.

1. AVEA members received 17.1 million visitors.

AVEA’s members received an estimated 17.1 million visitors in 2016, which represented 53%
of visits to all Irish attractions.

2. Generating jobs.

AVEA members employ an estimated 3,400 people nationally.

3. Combined revenue of €237 million.

AVEA’s members generate an estimated €237 million in revenues, a very high proportion of which
flows into the local economies in wages and purchasing of goods and services. Some AVEA members
do not have an entrance fee charge.

4. Where did they come from?

Dublin’s share of GB visitors was far higher than the rest of Ireland where domestic visitors were far greater than Dublin’s share.

5. When do they visit?

Dublin Attractions 56% arrive May to September Outside Dublin 67% arrive May to September
Peak season is much more pronounced outside of Dublin.

6. Categories of Visitors by ticket type.

Individual 67% | Groups 18.5% | Education Groups 8% The percentage of education groups
is higher outside of Dublin at 13% & 6.5% of business comes from ticketed seasonal/sporting events.

7. Visitor spend in attractions.

8. Average spend by visitors in attractions.

9. Operating costs.

Visitor attraction operating costs are not dissimilar to other Tourism businesses.

10. Staff Recruitment.

65% of Respondents stated difficulty in recruiting staff.
Top 3 areas where issues experienced are:
1. Kitchen / Catering 46%
2. Mid-management 42%
3. Sales / Marketing 32%

11. The future.

Growth of 0% - 20% is projected in 2018 with none of AVEA surveyed members expecting a decline.