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Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Irish people support the Irish Government’s investment in bringing major international sporting events to Ireland, according to new research published today by business advisory firm BDO Ireland in partnership with Amárach Research.
In the past 12 months, Ireland has hosted prominent international sporting events including an NFL regular season fixture between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings in Croke Park, and the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in the Aviva Stadium. This sporting momentum is set to continue with the 2027 Ryder Cup in Adare Manor, Co Limerick, followed by the co-hosting of the UEFA Euro 2028 and the 2030 T20 Cricket World Cup.
The study highlights a strong public appetite for hosting high-profile sporting fixtures, with 55% of respondents stating that investing in these events represents good value for money. Only 17% of the public disagreed with the Government’s strategic support for such events. Beyond the economic returns, more than half of the population (53%) believe these events serve as an effective platform to showcase Irish culture to a global audience.
Irish Sports Diplomacy
This strong public backing arrives at a time when the Irish Government is increasingly leveraging sports diplomacy to enhance the country's global footprint and boost its inbound tourism. As part of its newly launched International Sports Diplomacy Strategy, the Government is seeking to use major sports events to deliver €9 billion per annum in overseas visitor spend by 2031.
Overpricing Anxieties
While public sentiment toward sports tourism remains positive, the research reveals significant anxiety regarding the broader future of the Irish tourism sector. When asked about their primary hopes and concerns for the industry, 48% of respondents cited continuous growth as the primary goal.
When looking more broadly at the threats facing Irish tourism, overpricing remains at the top of the agenda for 39% of those surveyed. Other prominent concerns cited by the public include global conflict and general economic instability (12%), overtourism (10%), and acute accommodation and labour shortages (9%). Crime and anti-social behaviour (9%), loss of culture and authenticity (9%), and environmental and sustainability concerns (8%) were also cited.
Public attitudes
The research also examines Irish public attitudes towards the tourism sector, including its economic importance, local and regional impacts, and overall value to communities. It explores perceptions of Ireland’s tourism offering, key drivers of international appeal such as scenery, culture and hospitality, and views on visitor experience and competitiveness.
Additionally, the study covers sentiment around industry challenges and opportunities, including cost, sustainability, employment, and future growth, alongside public expectations for how Irish tourism should evolve.
Hosting major sports events requires considerable investment and political capital on the part of the Irish Government. However, our research clearly demonstrates that the Irish public sees the massive economic, cultural, and social value of hosting major sporting events. There is a strong consensus that these investments yield a positive return for the country, not just financially, but in how we project our culture globally. This public buy-in provides a welcome mandate for the government's sports diplomacy efforts. Over recent years, BDO has contributed to the national conversation by delivering an evidence-based approach to evaluating the economic and societal contribution of major sporting events in Ireland.
However, this optimism is paired with a clear warning sign. The public is highly sensitive to the issue of overpricing, which unsurprisingly tracks as the single greatest threat to our tourism ecosystem. To sustain the continuous growth that people want to see, the industry must balance high-value experiences with competitive pricing, while navigating systemic pressures like accommodation and labour shortages.
Tourism is a critical industry nationally. It is diverse, comprising of many small to medium enterprises, the majority of which are indigenously owned. These research results demonstrate that there is an understanding among the population of the industry’s value and importance. It also highlights some challenges that the industry needs to think about in relation to the sector’s attractiveness as an employer.
About BDO Ireland
BDO LLP operates in 19 offices across the UK and Ireland, employing 8,500 people. It has revenues of €1.2bn.
It provides Audit, Tax, Deals, and Consulting, Risk & Outsourcing (CR&O) services predominantly to the entrepreneurial, ambitious and growing mid-sized businesses that are driving growth in the UK and Ireland economies.
BDO also has strong expertise in sports advisory, supporting public and private sector stakeholders across the sports ecosystem. This includes assessing the economic impact of major sporting events and sports organisations, developing business cases for investment in sports infrastructure, and providing strategy and business advisory services. BDO also advises individual sports professionals on relevant commercial and financial considerations.
BDO LLP is the UK and Ireland member firm of the BDO Global network.
BDO Global
The BDO international network provides business advisory services in 169 countries and territories, with 95,000 people working out of 870 offices worldwide. It has revenues of US$11bn.
Amárach Research
Amárach Research is an independently owned Irish market research company. For the past three decades it has conducted research on many sectors of Irish economy and society.
Content published in Business Post.