Ploughing makes September biggest month of 2024 for tourism spending [Video]

September was the biggest month of the year so far for tourism and exhibits as tens of thousands attended the National Ploughing Championships in Co Laois.

The latest AIB Spend Trend study shows ticket sales were led by residents of Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, Galway and Wexford.

Debs seasons also led to the highest-spending days for clothing rental on Monday, 30 and Thursday, 26 September, respectively.

The biggest day for cosmetics sales was Tuesday, 10 September when AIB customers spent €529,000, the vast majority (89%) of it online.

The pre-sale for EA Sports FC 25 drove the highest spend on digital games this year on Friday, 20 September, and the games general sale release day (27 September) was the second-best day.

The hospitality sector had a quieter month, with hotel spend down 19%, restaurant spend down 12% and pub spend down 11%, likely driven by back to school and work following summer holidays.

Despite this, restaurants had their best day of the …