Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish TimesThe UK’s new visa waiver, the electronic travel authorisation (ETA), finally came into full operation yesterday. However, it has been effectively in place for a year in Northern Ireland, confounding widespread predictions of disaster. Northern Ireland’s tourism industry had still been expecting a calamity – a reasonable prediction, with 70 per cent of holidaymakers arriving via the Republic. There were reports early last year of Northern Ireland being removed from tour itineraries and of businesses noticing a marked drop in bookings. Nerves quickly settled and Northern Ireland’s tourism industry posted strong 6 per cent growth in 2025.

Source: The Irish Times February 26, 2026 09:00 UTC