Experience Ireland, a Nation of Stories
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Stunning landscapes, rich heritage and world-class services make Ireland the natural destination for U.S. travelers and film production companies.
Ireland received 6.4 million tourists in 2025, and 24% were from North America. “There’s a real connection. For visitors from the U.S., there’s a sense of exploring somewhere new but also coming home,” says Alice Mansergh, CEO of the promotional body Tourism Ireland.
Many tourists are captivated by landscapes ranging from the cliffs and beaches of Ireland’s wild Atlantic coast to the rivers and mountains of its emerald heartlands. “People also come for heritage. One moment they can be in a medieval castle in Blarney and the next at a prehistoric monument. There’s strong interest in culture too: the storytelling, music, dance and sense of fun we are known for. Ireland goes beyond expectations by inviting visitors in to have deeper connections,” Mansergh enthuses.
“Ireland’s renowned céad míle fáilte — a hundred thousand welcomes — defines the visitor experience,” says Stephen Kent, CEO of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), the state-owned group that operates key transport systems, including Dublin and rural bus services and the national rail network. Through its subsidiary CIÉ Tours, it is also the tour operator of choice for Americans. “We are the largest guided vacation company bringing visitors from the U.S. to Ireland,” Kent details. “We have more than 90 years of experience creating memorable vacations for over 3 million guests. In 2025, we welcomed more than 35,000 visitors, with a customer satisfaction rate consistently above 95%.”
CIÉ Tours crafts diverse itineraries. “As well as destinations such as Dublin, Killarney, Cork, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Belfast and historic sites, visitors experience authentic culture, music and traditional events that bring the real Ireland to life,” he explains. The company also offers a variety of travel styles, from luxury coach tours for large and small groups to self-drive, private-driver, walking and hiking vacations.
Throughout its operations, the firm prioritizes sustainability, from promoting family tourism businesses to trialing zero- and low-emission vehicle fuels. “Like Ireland itself, we are forward-looking and embracing innovation while valuing our heritage,” asserts Kent. “It is a modern, evolving country with hotels, transport and visitor infrastructure that support a consistently high standard of experience.”
Award-winning film industry
The country’s combination of scenic landscapes, rich heritage and modern services attracts not only tourists but also filmmakers, with U.S. film productions increasingly drawn to Ireland’s creative strengths, world-class crew and studio infrastructure.
Last year, the industry’s spend in Ireland reached about $625 million, 26% more than in 2024. “The Irish film and animation industry has been on a remarkable growth trajectory lately, with record-breaking production activity,” states Désirée Finnegan, chief executive of Screen Ireland, the national development agency for film, television, animation and digital games, which has offices in both Ireland and Los Angeles.
“Alongside the increase in production, we’ve seen growing international recognition of Irish talent, from producing and visual effects to acting and animation,” she adds. “For instance, Richard Baneham has multiple Oscars for visual effects on the Avatar series. Ireland’s growing VFX capabilities stem from talented artists working on major franchises over the past 15 years, and it’s an area with huge potential.”
Irish animation is also performing well commercially and critically, thanks to Screen Ireland’s focus on supporting a new generation of filmmakers as well as established artists. “This year, for example, an animated short, Retirement Plan, received an Academy Award nomination. It’s wonderful to see the breadth of talent emerging across the whole industry,” Finnegan says.
Locally produced TV drama has blossomed too, since the government introduced a stimulus fund for that sector. “Our first investment was Normal People, which came out in 2020 and was hugely successful internationally. We now have around 30 TV dramas in development,” she reveals. “Another trend that stands out is the growth of Irish-language cinema and TV. To help connect Irish stories with global audiences, we have launched the Where to Watch Ireland platform that showcases Irish content internationally.”
Ireland’s next breakthrough sector is forecast to be digital games, and there are already 50 games studios of all sizes operating in the country. “We are now working on a national strategy to support the sector through incubation, accelerator and development programs, including prototype funding. We also want to help studios grow internationally, while creating opportunities to tell culturally Irish stories through games,” discloses Finnegan.
One reason behind the wider industry’s advance has been the government’s attractive fiscal incentives covering everything from large-scale international productions to small independent films. “Recently, incentives have also been introduced for digital games, and a visual effects incentive is about to become operational, which will help us scale sectors with significant creative and technical talent,” she notes.
Another factor is the one-stop-shop services of Screen Ireland, which span the lifecycle of projects, from skills and development to production, distribution and marketing. Between 2021 and 2024, the agency invested around $140 million in the industry, supporting more than 115 feature films, 60 TV series and 100 short films. “We are very filmmaker-led, with a strong emphasis on talent and skills development,” the chief executive comments. “For example, our network of National Talent Academies has been highly impactful. We have academies for live-action production, animation, visual effects and post-production, all working closely with industry to identify skills gaps and provide hands-on experience. These programs have created around 18,000 placement opportunities to date.”
A further priority for Screen Ireland is that the industry should be inclusive, which is why it introduced a fund that incentivizes filming outside major metropolitan areas. “This supports filmmaking in some of Ireland’s most beautiful locations while also strengthening production companies and regional talent,” she details. “Our aim is to develop creative clusters across the country.”
The agency also wants to strengthen its position as a leading European co-production partner for the U.S. film industry, which appreciates Ireland’s first-rate infrastructure, unbeatable locations and competitive fiscal incentives. As Finnegan points out, however, “Ultimately, it’s the depth of creative talent and the quality of the work being produced in Ireland that make the country particularly attractive to U.S. partners.”
