A recent Europe-wide survey, conducted by SumUp, the fintech company providing payment solutions to over 4 million companies worldwide, reveals that Irish businesses harbour a much more positive attitude towards tourists than their European counterparts. With the tourist-heavy summer slowly drawing to a close, the survey, conducted across five European markets (Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, and the UK), highlights how Irish businesses perceive tourism, what actions they have taken to work in tandem with the industry, and the possible impact of climate change on tourism into Ireland.
From the pool of 1431 respondents, over a quarter (27%) of Irish merchants impacted by tourism stated that they place a particular emphasis on offering local experiences to visitors, while 23.6% highlighted their partnerships with local businesses to promote the area. This holistic approach to tourists was similarly seen in Germany, where 27.4% of respondents engage in local partnerships. In contrast, 43.6% of merchants in Italy have made no adjustments to welcome tourists to their business, an attitude mirrored in the UK (40%) and France (41.2%).
These efforts to welcome tourists have proven fruitful for Irish merchants, 65% of which stated that increased tourism led to an increased customer base, while 62.5% saw increased sales. This sentiment was similar across other European countries surveyed, with 60% of merchants in the UK and 54.4% of French respondents noting they had more customers.
Although the increase in tourism brought more business, there was a noticeable difference in the way Irish merchants and their European counterparts engage with visitors, particularly evident in how much importance they placed on tourists. 34.7% of respondents stated that European tourists are highly relevant to them, a sentiment not matched by businesses from any other country. In contrast, 38.4% of German respondents believed that European tourists were not relevant to their business at all, with similar results seen in Italy (28.4%) and the UK (29.9%). Similarly, 34% of Irish respondents place great importance on their visitors from within the country, reflecting Ireland’s reputation as a land of a thousand welcomes, whereas only 20.9% of Germans and 12.8% of Italians feel the same way.
Niall Mac an tSionnaigh, CEO of SumUp Limited commented: “Tourism has always been an important part of the Irish economy and many Irish businesses rely and thrive on visitors stopping by for a meal or buying a treasured souvenir. The positive attitude shown by Irish businesses towards tourists comes at a time when anti-tourism narratives seem to be at an all-time high, and proves that tourists can have a positive impact on local economies.”
Despite Ireland’s positive outlook on the tourism industry, Irish merchants appear slightly more concerned about overtourism than their European counterparts. During the high season, 7.9% report being affected – a figure that may not seem staggering on its own, but is nearly double that of Germany and the UK, where only 4% of merchants feel a negative impact.
Similarly, Irish merchants are anxious about the effects of climate change on their operations. With extreme weather becoming an increasingly common phenomenon globally, 42.6% of Irish respondents stated that they fear these natural disruptions could cause a drop in tourism numbers, while 34.3% believe that they would be forced to close their business or face business interruptions. Other parts of Europe did not share these anxieties, with over 40% of merchants in Germany (44.2%), Italy (44.4%), France (41.3%), and the UK (40.6%) believing that they do not live in a potentially affected area.
“For merchants connected to tourism, it is important to remain flexible and not solely rely on what has worked in previous years. With the increasing risk of climate-related disasters such as wildfires and storms dampening the tourism forecast for many places, businesses must adapt to ensure their long-term survival. At SumUp, we believe that supplying businesses with technology that works with and for them is key in helping them thrive and provide their customers with the best service possible, no matter where they come from,” added Mac an tSionnaigh.
Throughout the past year, SumUp has expanded its offerings to continue to support merchants in innovating their businesses. In July 2025, SumUp launched Terminal, its POS systems designed to give businesses a smoother payments and ordering system, allowing them to focus on their customers. This launch rounded off SumUp’s recent achievements, such as surpassing 1 billion transactions per year and announcing that over 1 million customers are now using a SumUp Business Account.
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