Biden visit to Ireland sparks surge in US tourism

US president Joe Biden’s Irish visit appears to have sparked a surge in transatlantic holiday bookings, according to one company.

Allora.ai, part of SHR Group, whose Irish clients include Adare Manor, Ashford Castle, the Castlemartyr Resort and the Temple Bar Hotel. It provides booking services to around 2,000 hotels globally and says it has seen a marked rise in interest in Ireland from big-spending US tourists this year.

The digital booker says President Biden’s visit has coincided with a surge in bookings from US visitors this year, with reservations up 93 per cent so far in 2023, and it maintains they are spending even more than usual.

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Laurita Blewitt (left) cousin of US president Joe Biden (centre), Hunter Biden (third from left), Mike Smith (right) chairman, and Martina Jennings (second from left) chief executive of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and Valerie Biden Owens (second from right) view a plaque to president Biden's late son Beau, outside Mayo Roscommon Hospice and Palliative Care Center on April 14th. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty

Frank Reeves, Allora.ai’s chief evangelist, says US visitors are spending 16 per cent more than usual, giving what he calls a “much-needed” boost to Ireland’s hospitality industry.

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He noted that US tourists are normally big spenders. “In fact the average booking value of a US hotel guest is 61 per cent higher than that of a domestic one,” Mr Reeves said.

“They purchase more expensive packages and make far more use of the hotel’s facilities, such as the restaurant.”

Allora.ai provides booking and retention systems to more than 2,000 hotels around the world, which have processed almost €3.5 billion worth of transactions.

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US visitors account for more than half of all international bookings at Irish hotels, up from 42 per cent last year. They make up 16 per cent of all guests, second as a group only to Irish people.

However, even while bookings are up 71 per cent on last summer, Irish hoteliers could still face challenges.

Guests can cancel up to four out of six such reservations, often at the last minute, leaving a property with rooms that it will be unlikely to fill.

A growing trend among tourists is to book several hotels, then cancelling all but one when the time comes.